Just a Girl
by BlackRoseApocalyps
Summary: A girl trying to find her destiny, you find love, you find pain, but it's life COMPLETE
1. Marianne Jong

Disclaimer: don't owe 'm, don't even wanna owe 'm, I happen to like my house as it is, in one piece.  
  
Just a girl.  
  
Try imagining a plain, simple girl with dark blonde, almost brown hair, tied up in a messy ponytail. Eyes with an undesignated colour, you doubt whether it would be green, blue or grey. Just an ordinary girl, just a girl like any other. She's a bit shy, shies away from attention most of the time, but don't get her angry, because then you will be a victim of her quick and sharp tongue. She looks around the cold office, feeling out of place, feeling like she should turn and run away as fast as she can. But she can't, she can't because she promised her brother she would give it a try.  
  
"Miss Jong, the principal will see you now," the voice of the woman who called her was just as cold as the surroundings. Miss Jong, that's her, that was how she had expected she would be called here. Cold, unpersonal, uncaring. Did they even care her first name was Marianne? That her father was Dutch? That her mother had been killed in a car crash? She doubted it.  
  
"Miss Jong, I understand you just moved here? Jong, an interesting last name," the principal mused as he gestured her to sit down. Marianne fidgeted uneasily under his attention.  
  
"My father is Dutch, sir, Jong means as much as Young, and yes, I just moved here," she replied softly, the cold, uncaring manner the man in front of her just breathed was effecting her.  
  
"I see, the reason I called you here. I wished to warn you, there are mutants attending Bayville High, I have no wish to see a new student getting hurt," he looked at her with a cold stare. Someone, his words ignited a spark inside of her. The spark soon changed into anger: who was he to judge mutants? To judge her? But ofcourse, he didn't know, how could he know? Her mutation had been carefully hidden from the rest of the world.  
  
"But who would hurt me, principal Kelly? The mutants, or the humans because I could hang out with the mutants?" she changed her voice into the same, uncaring, cold tone the man had assumed with her. In order to give him a taste of his own medicine.  
  
"Surely you know mutants are dangerous, Miss Jong," he observed her carefully, as if wanting to see why she had said that.  
  
"Surely I know any man is dangerous, it is simply the desire to hurt that should be avoided. That is as much in you as in every other member of the human race," she forced herself to remain cold, uncaring. She would not show weakness to this man. 'Man,' she sneered mentally, 'rather a mouse!'  
  
"If that is how you see it. You may go to your class now," he waved her away, but his eyes staid focussed on her, as if measuring up an opponent.  
  
'If that is what he wants, he'll get it,' she pushed some strands of her hair out of her face and stood up, stalking out of the office, going to find a place where she could calm down before going into class. She was angry, the principal had managed something in a matter of seconds what most people didn't manage in their entire life: he had got her angry. Beyond angry, as a matter of fact, that's what all these mutant haters got her. They looked at her and saw just a girl, not even exceptional at anything, not stunningly good looking, not with the smarts of a genius, but what they never suspected was that she was a mutant.  
  
She was a mutant, yes, and even her powers weren't exceptional. Illusions, she sneered at herself, what can you possibly do with illusions?! Nothing, not a damn thing to show these mutant haters that she was equal to them, that they were all equal. There were times, that she doubted that anyone would ever believe that mutants and 'normal' humans were equal. But her brother proved her otherwise, he was human, and he still treated her the same way. Unfortunately, that also meant he was still the same, overprotective, date away scaring big brother who also managed to annoy her to no extent.  
  
"Yes?" somehow, Marianne had managed to end up in front of the classroom where she was supposed to be.  
  
"Hi, I'm Marianne Jong, I'm the new student here," she introduced herself to the science teacher.  
  
"O yes, please enter," she smiled at Marianne, a true, caring smile. The first one since she had got to school. Marianne tentavely entered the room, as she looked around, she noticed where she was supposed to sit: the only empty seat, next to a gothic girl with white stripes in her hair. The girl seemed all but happy to see that the empty seat would be taken... 


	2. Big Brother

Disclaimer: don't owe 'm, don't even wanna owe 'm, I happen to like my house as it is, in one piece. I do own Marianne and her brother, and they are nice and locked away now.  
  
Author Note: I may be Dutch, but Marianne is not based on me! No way, first of all, I prefer the good ol' fists when I get into a fight, I tend to get tongue tied and stammer when I try to think of something to say, second: I could never keep my cool in front of that Kelly guy, third: I'm the overprotective big sister.  
  
Just a girl – Big brother.  
  
School was awfull, she knew it now for sure. It was an invention of someone who wanted to torture minors in the most horrible ways possible. Marianne could not believe how narrow minded most of the kids at school were. Especially that jurk-jock, what his name again? Duncan or something, sounded like a cheap brand of rubber bands or something, well, he'd probably end up sitting on a couch, drinking beer in a trailer park or something, best future carreer, he could also end up on the streets.  
  
She had two groups of kids who stuck together and were sort of shunned by the rest of the school. Probably the mutants principal Kelly had warned her about. Warned, hah, that was a joke! One group, the one to which the gothic girl belonged, looked like they wouldn't even hurt a fly, the other, with some obnoxious silver heard boy, looked like they would be more annoying then dangerous. But then again, appearance doesn't have to be the truth. She would see.  
  
"Hey M, how was school?" Marianne was welcomed by her older brother, he took after their father, tall, broad, same colour hair and piercing, brown eyes.  
  
"Fun, nice, for school. And, did you get the job?" she threw her bag in a corner, kicked of her shoes and fell into a chair.  
  
"What do you think? Ofcourse I got it, now, tell me, details. Should I beat someone up?" he was looking quite serious about that.  
  
"Tempting, Devon, very tempting, but you can't go beat up the principal. Not because he's mutant hating dirt and is as narrow minded as a frog. No, wait, a frog could contain more information then that idiot," she stretched on the couch.  
  
"How do you know that? Did he say something? Does he know that..." Devon seemed very worried at this.  
  
"What? Does he know I'm a mutant? Was I exposed? Am I going to ruin father's reputation? No, he doesn't know, he warned me about mutants attending Bayville High. He doesn't know I have lousy powers that I don't know how to use even if it would save my own life," Marianne jumped up, raging.  
  
"I didn't mean that, M, you know I don't mean that. And you know you'll get control, you're getting closer and closer every day. You know father and me only care about your safety, and keeping your powers a secret will keep you safe. The world isn't ready for you yet, you know that, I don't like it, you don't like it, but I happen to like my little sister alive and not locked away in some experimenting lab," Devon tried to calm his sister, he knew how she was about mutant haters, and having to keep it all inside had left her ready to blow up when she had finally reached home. He made a mental note to pick Marianne up from now on, just to be on the safe side.  
  
"That's just another drop of the bucket! Do you know how many times I have nightmares of them finding out, and capturing me? I hate this, Devon, I hate this," Marianne felt like hitting something, tearing something apart.  
  
"Uhm, M? Could you please call that illusion away? I mean, a little kitten, okay, but I can't deal with tigers," Devon paled at seeing the tiger standing growling behind his sister.  
  
"Huh? O boy," Marianne turned around and saw the tiger, unconciously she took a step backwards. Much like her brother, she preferred herself alive. She tried to remember how she could make the illusion go away. She grinned ruefully: six months, six months of having this power and still she wasn't in control of it. She started to doubt that she would ever get true control, but Devon refused to let her even think that.  
  
"Relax, Marianne, relax and focus," Devon softly spoke, he only used her given name when he was deadly serious. This was one of those times, because he liked the house the way it was, and not redecorated by a tiger, even if it was an illusion. He had learned five months ago that Marianne's illusions were just as tangible as the real thing, especially when she was emotional.  
  
"Right, relax. Devon! How am I supposed to relax with a friggin' tiger in the room?!" Marianne was all but relaxed, "Nice kitty, nice kitty. Now go back where you came from. O god, I know we've got some issues, but please! Take the tiger away now and I will go to church coming sunday!"  
  
"You're bribing God?" Devon looked at her in disbelieve.  
  
"Well, Einstein, unless you have a better idea, I'll bribe anyone to get that illusion out of here this instant," Marianne turned around to glare at her brother.  
  
"And a great idea it was. The tiger is gone," Devon peeked around his sister and noted that the tiger indeed had disappeared, "it seems you have a date on sunday, M."  
  
"Very funny, haha," Marianne couldn't hide the relief flowing through her veins now the tiger was gone, "perhaps I should try to make a deal more often."  
  
"Perhaps you should. Come, I'm taking you out for ice-cream and you can tell me in full detail how much you hate school and how you are not going back there," Devon winked at her and dragged her with him. Marianne inwardly groaned: her brother, the ice-cream addict, he thought everything would be good as long as there was ice-cream, lots and lots of ice-cream. 


	3. Icecream and new friends

Disclaimer: don't owe 'm, don't even wanna owe 'm, I happen to like my house as it is, in one piece. I do own Marianne and Devom, and they are nice and locked away now, along with the little tiger.  
  
Just a Girl – Ice-cream and new friends.  
  
"Devon! For heaven's sake! Take your pick! It's ice-cream , not the solution to the world's hunger problem!" Marianne groaned as she waited for her brother to pick his ice-cream. She knew out of experience how long it could take, even had a formula on how long it took to pick, depending on the amount of flavours. Unfortunately, there were lots of flavors.  
  
"Like, how long is he going to take?" Marianne heard a voice besides her, she looked aside and saw a preppy looking brunette.  
  
"Ten minutes and counting," Marianne sighed, "My name's Marianne Jong, that's my brother Devon." She recognized the girl as one belonging to the gothic girl's group. She set aside her shyness for once, wanting to know more about this group.  
  
"I'm Katherine Pryde, call me Kitty, so, the cutie's your big brother?" Marianne groaned, unlike her, her brother did have good looks, and she was used to girls swooning over him, but that didn't mean it didn't annoy her and this girl was younger then her for crying out loud!  
  
"Cutie? He is my brother, but cutie? I would very much appreciate it, however, if he would take his pick!" the last part was directed at him.  
  
"Hold yer horses M, when picking ice, one has to take the utmost care to pick the right flavour for the occasion," he said, badly immitating a British accent, Marianne laughed, it always made her laugh.  
  
Always, except when her mother had died in that car crash. Drunken driver, they had said, it was almost a year ago now. She had been so angry, so angry, at everything and everyone. But most of all God. Her mother was catholic, a good person, she didn't understand how He could let her die in such a stupid accident. Her powers had displayed themselved six months later and she got even angrier.  
  
She had felt as if someone up there was punishing her family and using her to do it. If there was something that she hated, it was being used. Her brother would always be the first to admit that, even though she was shy, she had a fierce attitude and she was stubborn as hell.  
  
"What do you want, M?" Devon's voice woke her out of her musings. Kitty had wondered back to her friends again.  
  
"Uhm, chocolate chip and hot fudge," Marianne absently ordered.  
  
"Good choice, a bit ordinary, but good choice none the less," Devon admonished in the same, fake, Brittish accent. Marianne found them a seat close to Kitty, a red head, a boy with sunglasses and another boy who spoke with a German accent.  
  
"So, M, how was your day?" Devon said, while digging into his ice-cream, Marianne didn't even want to know what flavours he had chosen, since the colour combination was truly appalling.  
  
"I dunno, no one talks to the new kid, as far as I can see there are lots of mutant haters at school, in cluding that jerk Kelly, most of the idiotic jocks are too, I really can't stand one guy, I believe his name is Duncan. Tried to copy my notes. I don't have anything against that, honestly, but, well, that meeting with the principal had already got me pissed, so I kinda blew up at him," Marianne poked at her ice-cream.  
  
"Marianne, don't let those mutant haters get to you. Not everyone is as open minded as we are. And stop trying to disect your ice-cream, it's not alive," Devon chuckled at seeing her poke with her spoon.  
  
"It just... it makes me so angry, Devon, mom always taught us that everyone is equal, and I believe that, I truly believe that. It doesn't matter to me if people can read my mind, it doesn't matter if they could hurt me without any trouble because I TRUST them. I mean, people don't shun others when they own a gun, do they? Why do they shun mutants? It's not like they had a choice in those powers, people with guns have," Marianne couldn't help it, she had spent many days talking with her mother about mutants, and always got passionate when the topic turned to mutant rights, often to the point forgetting that she was a mutant.  
  
"I know, M. I know, hey, what are you lookin' at, shades?!" Devon caught the boy with sunglasses looking at them.  
  
"Nothing, I was just surprised by what she said. It is rare for someone to stand up for mutants," the boy replied.  
  
"Devon, down boy. Excuse my brother, he's overprotective," Marianne put a restraining hand on Devon's arm. Her face flushed a bright red as she realised her speech had been heard by others except her brother.  
  
"Hey, you're like, the new girl at school!" Kitty spoke up, Marianned edged away from the group, the sudden attention was unsettling for her, to say the least.  
  
"Zo, you've had ze talk wiz ze principal?" the boy with the German accent asked her.  
  
"Afraid so, he seems to have a problem with change," Marianne looked up timidly, the red head girl smiled at her.  
  
"It must be hard to be the new kid, would you two care to join us for a little while? My name is Jean Grey, this is Scott Summers, Kurt Wagner and Katherine Pryde," she introduced herself and the group. Marianne was about to decline the offer when her brother cut in.  
  
"We'd love to. I'm Devon Jong and this is my younger sister Marianne," Devon had jumped into 'big brother' mode, and seemed to see this as an chance to make sure Marianne would fall into the 'right kind of crowd' and Marianne wasn't about to tell him he made a good pick. 


	4. Slip of Control

Disclaimer: for everyone who still doesn't believe it: I DO NOT own any of this except the plot, Marianne and Devon. Also: I make no profits of this, someone has to be really sick to actually pay me for this. This is merely the product of a bored mind and PLEASE do NOT sue me, I don't have a penny, and that's the truth.  
  
Just a Girl – Slip of control  
  
Marianne felt like burying her head somewhere very far away from noise and light. She had just had a terrible night of nightmares and no sleep. Her screaming had scared the living daylights out of Devon. Later, he had asked her what it was about, but she couldn't remember it. He had given her the famous: 'I'm not letting you go to school tomorrow' look, and she had retaliated with 'who are you going to bring along for that?' look. But right about now, she was feeling like she should have agreed with him. She walked into the full cafetaria, wincing at the noise and as she tried to find a seat, she noticed Kurt and Kitty, for a minute she wondered if she could get a seat there, but there were others there, and she didn't want to intrude.  
  
"Marianne! Like over here!" Kitty had other plans, and stood up to drag Marianne to her table.  
  
"I don't wish to intrude, I'll go find a seat somewhere else," Marianne tried to object.  
  
"Like, totally nonsense! Come sit with us. Okay, this is like, Rogue, Ray, Sam, Bobby, Amara and Robert. Guys, this is Marianne," Kitty pulled her down right next to her own place.  
  
"Marianne, you don't look zo good, you okay?" Kurt asked her, noticing her pale face.  
  
"Just tired, Kurt, had a rough night," Marianne picked at her food, she didn't feel much like eating today. As the others chattered around her, she felt her mind slip away to a year back, and earlier. Memories of her mother flooded back and she softly smiled, suddenly, startled screams brought her back to reality. She looked up and gasped in shock: "Mom?!"  
  
In the middle of the cafetaria, a transparent woman floated. Her hair came over her shoulders, she was completely colourless, her eyes were lifeless.  
  
"That's yer mom? Ah thought Ah had a weird one," Rogue looked wide eyed at the phantom that had sent more then half of the cafetaria running.  
  
"My mom's dead," an almost soundless whisper escaped from Marianne's lips.  
  
"Then what is that?" Sam glanced at the phantom, then back at the pale girl, and at the phantom again.  
  
"Illusion, I can't... I can't shut it of," Marianne was near tears as the phantom came closer towards her. She took a wobbly step backwards.  
  
"Illusion? You're a mutant?" Bobby looked at the older girl in surprise.  
  
"Make it go away, please," the image of the woman began to bleed in the same, transparent colour as she was. Rogue sighed and did the one thing that made the most sense to her: she took of her gloves and tapped the panicking girl softly. Long enough for her to lose conciousness, and as she fainted, the illusion disappeared.  
  
"Rogue! Like, why did you do that for?!" Kitty gasped in shock.  
  
"Aw, shut your hole and help meh get 'r in the truck. She needs help controlin' this, an' Ah don' think anothah episode of this would go too well with the school," Rogue motioned to the empty cafetaria.  
  
"Like, what did you get from her?" Kitty asked, while helping Rogue get the dead fainted girl to her car. Since Jean an Scott attended the comunity college nearby, Rogue was now mostly in charge of getting the students to school, at least, the ones who wanted to go by car.  
  
"Kurt, if anyone asks, we're takin' Marianne here home 'cause she ain't feelin' too well," Rogue ordered the German boy, "and if ya happen ta see her brother, tell 'm she's at the mansion an' take 'm with ya." She started the car, while Kitty sat in the back, making sure that Marianne was all right.  
  
"Like, Rogue, what's she like?" Kitty asked after a silence.  
  
"Nahce, it's good ta have happy memories inside fer a change. She's lucky. She had a brother an' father who love 'r to death, they don' care 'bout 'r powers. Also lot of anger t'wards tha world an' God an' all. Her mom died in a car crash a year back, she's angry 'bout that. Her powers showed themselves half a year ago, she's angry 'bout that too," Rogue replied absent mindedly, while trying to keep focus on the road and the surprise of the unusual lack of assault at her mind. 


	5. The Offer

Disclaimer: do I have to repeat myself? Okay, sadly, I only own Marianne, Devon and the plot. Steal them and there will be hell to pay! Now, I'll return to la-la-land, where I own everything!  
  
Note: I'll be damned, appears people actually appreciate me writing this story. Hm, never imagened that one. But: I'm really not good at Kurt's accent, but I try?  
  
Soul Eater: I try to update it as fast as I can, these days that's one chapter a day, well, unless something comes up. It's a holiday and I'm bored out of my wits. Luckily, as you can read, I have a VERY active imagination.  
  
Just a Girl – The offer  
  
Marianne was awokened by the most curious sight in her entire life. She was in, what seemed to be, a hospital room and a big, furry, blue man was busy with some equipment in that same room.  
  
"Excuse me," she tried to get the man's attention, "you're not another illsuion? Are you?"  
  
"I don't think so, no, I'm very much real," he turned around with a soft grin on his face.  
  
"What happened, why am I here?" Marianne shot up now he had confirmed she wasn't in one of her illusions, fearing that she was in a lab, much like her nightmares.  
  
"It appears, Miss Jong, that you lost control over your powers at school. Rogue had to knock you out and after wards, she and Kitty took you here, thinking it would be best that you would awake her instead of at school," the blue man moved closer towards her, "As you can see, I am a mutant too, my name is Hank McCoy."  
  
"Good! Like, you're up!" Kitty came bursting into the room.  
  
"Kitty? What happened? I remember seeing my mom, but after that, it just blurs," Marianne pushed herself up on her elbows.  
  
"You, like, lost complete control and Rogue had to knock you out. I'm really sorry about that, you're at the mansion where I live. I'm a mutant, everyone here is. Why didn't you, like, tell us you were a mutant?" Kitty babbled, while jumping on the bed.  
  
"Yeah, sure, Kitty. Hi, I'm a mutant who can't control her mutation and can create illusions. Wanna be friends? Excuse the sarcasm," Marianne looked at the girl in front of her in disbelieve of the girls naive nature.  
  
"O yeah, sorry, my bad. Wanna know what my power is? Seeing as I know yours?" the brunette giggled. Marianne nodded, her eyes took the size of saucers as she saw Kitty pass through the wall next to her, coming out at her other side.  
  
"You can... you can walk through walls?!" Marianne gasped, "yeah, give the others the cool powers and give me this lame one."  
  
"Your power is like so totally not lame! I mean, sure, you need some control, but you could do so awesome stuff!" Kitty agrued with her. Marianne looked at her with a grumpy glare, she really didn't feal like talking about her powers, and here this preppy girl was trying to convince her that her ultimately lame powers that scared the living daylights out of herself were cool.  
  
"Kitty," Marianne started sugarly sweet.  
  
"Yeah? What's the matter?" Kitty interrupted her babbling to turn to Marianne.  
  
"Nothing... just this!" Marianne grabbed her pillow and slammed it into her. Hank saw this and groaned as a pillow fight broke lose in the med-lab.  
  
~*At school*~  
  
Devon glared maliciously at the school entrance. He had heard the whispers of the ghost that had appeared in the school's cafetaria and he just knew it had to do with Marianne. Devon had to control himself not to rush in there and try to find her. He knew he would never be able to do so: if she didn't want to be found, he wouldn't find her.  
  
"Hey! Devon! You waiting for Marianne?" he suddenly heard someone with a German accent shout. He remembered that voice as one of the four people he had met in the ice-cream shop the day before.  
  
"Yeah, you know what happened?" Devon turned to the younger, German boy, carefully covering the worry in his voice.  
  
"Yeah, Rogue and Keety took her viz zem to ze mansion. She freaked out during lunch, we zought it vould be better to take her zomevhere safe," Kurt nodded.  
  
"Mansion? Take me to her. Now." Devon's mind was racing: they must have figured it out, was she in danger?  
  
"Ja, ze mansion, I live zhere, wiz Jean, Scott, Keety and a lot of ozhers. Ve're all mutants," Kurt jumped into the empty seat in the pick-up truck, "Zo, vhat's your zister's power?"  
  
"What's yours?" Devon looked at the boy next to him.  
  
"Vell, I look like a blue fuzzy elf wiz yellow eyes and I can teleport. Ze professor gave me an image inducer zo I could go to school," Kurt grinned at the older boy, "Ve vill all show you vhen or if you pleaze."  
  
"Fair enough. I'm not a mutant, and it was quite a shock to find out my little sister was one. It scared her, we kept her inside the house the first month, not that we hated her, believe me, my father and I could never hate her. But she had no control what so ever over this 'gift'. Illusions were sprouting up every time she let her thoughts wonder. Dad had an old friend come over, he taught her some meditating stuff and that gained her some measure of control, even though it was very fragile. When she becomes emotional, she loses it, and believe me, my sister is one fiery girl. I'm afraid moving here left her control a bit frazzled, to say the least," Devon explained, "she can create illusions, tangible or untangible."  
  
"Vow, zhat's cool," Kurt grinned at Devon's explanation. Devon looked at Kurt with a tired grin.  
  
"Believe me, Kurt, it is anything but 'cool'. We are scared to death someone will find out, capture her and use her for testing or hurt her. Marianne has a strong imagination and that has led to many sleepless nights and nightmares. I'll be the first to admit she needs help, but, quite frankly, we don't know who to trust and turn to," Devon sighed softly.  
  
"Vell, ze professor could help vizh zhat. At zhe mansion, ve're all mutants. He teaches us to use our powers, control zhem," Kurt offered an idea.  
  
"You think he could handle Marianne too?" Devon shot up, looking hopefully at the German boy. They entered the gates of the institute. As Devon pulled his truck to a halt, he saw three adults waiting for them. One was bald, in a wheel chair. There was a woman with white hair, but not of age and a gruff looking, broad built man.  
  
"Where's my sister?" Devon didn't even bother with introductions.  
  
"The last time I saw her, she was having a pillowfight with Kitty in the med-lab," the bald man spoke up, "My name is Charles Xavier, the man to my right is Logan and this is Ororo Munroe. Join us inside, we would like to discuss Marianne with you."  
  
Devon looked at the professor, still quite disbelieving of the fact that this man had offered to take Marianne in, teach her how to control and most of all, offer her better protection then he could. When Xavier had began his story, Devon had been rather sceptive, but that had faded as he found out this man was really willing to help and wanted nothing in return.  
  
"I don't know what to say, sir. I would appreciate it very much taking you up on this offer, but it comes down to Marianne's decission, though. I'll have to talk to her about it," Devon ran his hand through his hair, relieved that the burden was offered to be taken off of his shoulders. He loved Marianne very much, but he was only 23 years old, his sister was 17, nearing on 18 and to be quite honest: her powers scared him often. A tiger in the living room wasn't something he would ever grow accustomed to.  
  
"I understand. She's in the kitchen right now, you can speak with her in private," Xavier nodded and motioned Ororo to lead Devon to the kitchen. 


	6. Sibling quarrel

Disclaimer: I only own Marianne, Devon and plot, I am getting sick and tired of this disclaimer, so from this moment on: I don't own anything except what was mentioned before unless otherwise stated. This will be the last disclaimer and it will stand for any further chapters!  
  
Just a Girl – Sibling quarrel  
  
"Devon!" Marianne looked up as the door entered and saw her older brother enter. She had just tried to make heads and tails out of the assigned homework with Kitty's help. It amazed her that Kitty was so smart.  
  
"Child, let's leave Marianne and her brother to talk in private," Ororo motioned to Kitty to leave the kitchen. Kitty nodded and quietly followed the older woman out of the kitchen as Devon sat down in the chair she had formerly been seated in.  
  
"Is something wrong, Devon? You look serious," Marianne identified the look on his face as the 'I need to tell you something and you're not going to like it' look.  
  
"You lost control at school. Marianne, we have to face this, we're in over our head. You need better help at learning to control this then me and father can give you. The man who runs this place, Professor Xavier, offered to take you in and teach you how to maintain in control," Devon observed his younger sister carefully.  
  
"No way! I... I just let my thoughts wonder. I promise I'll stay focused from now on! I'm not staying here, Devon. I am going home with you!" Marianne jumped up. Devon sighed: he knew her too well, he knew she would react like this.  
  
"It's not like you'll never see me again. I'll still live in Bayville, you just move here. The professor has assured me you can come over to my place as often as you wish. Just think about it, it will be better if you'd stay here," Devon tried to pacify her.  
  
"Better for whom? For you! You're just looking for a way to dump me and no longer having to look after me! That's it, isn't it? Tell me the truth, Devon," Marianne began to pace around the room, tears forming in her eyes.  
  
"That is not true and you know it! Marianne, I would never dump you for my own good. You know that! You're my little sister and it is my job to make sure you get the best of what you need, and right now, you need somewhere you can safely develop and use your powers. This is the best place I can come up with," Marianne inwardly groaned as she saw the look on his face evolve into the fearsome 'I'm your big brother and I know what's best for you and you damn well are going along with it' look.  
  
"What about dad? He's not going along with this and I'm not going against his wishes!" Marianne tried her last option.  
  
"I will give dad a call this evening and believe me. He WILL agree. You are staying here and that is final!" Devon was beginning to lose his patience with me.  
  
"Don't tell me what to do Devon!" Marianne turned to face him, pure rage filling her eyes as she moved towards him. Devon winced, knowing he had pushed his little sister too far for her fragile control to handle. A string of colourfull curses escaped his mouth as he saw an illusion beginning to take form. Flames began to form around the two of them. He was stuck between either running for his life or trying to calm his sister down.  
  
"O god..." he heard her whimper, "Devon! Get out of here! It's out of control!" a fire blazing up an inch from his face convinced him of that. The door behind him burst open and the one intoduced as Logan jumped in.  
  
"What the..." he looked at the fire and then saw Marianne being surrounded by it.  
  
"I got her angry. It's an illusion, I don't know if it's tangible," Devon's eyes were fixed on his younger sister, who was crying for help. She crumbled to the ground, sobbing violently as the fire formed a wall around her.  
  
~Marianne, calm down,~ the professor projected his thoughts towards her, he could sense the fear of the girl for hurting her brother clearly, he was not breaking through to her.  
  
"Professor, like, knocking her out made the illusion go away at school too," Kitty offered an idea.  
  
"No way! There ain't no way in hell you're gonna knock her out!" Devon objected forcefully.  
  
"I will simply 'urge' her to fall asleep. This is very traumatic for her," Xavier explained to the worried boy. Devon nodded, although it was with reservation. Xavier brought his right hand to his temple and 'urged' Marianne to fall asleep. As she responded to it, the flames slowly disappeared, without and damage to the kitchen.  
  
"I guess it was intangible," Ororo checked the kitchen for any damage as Devon picked Marianne up.  
  
"You can, like, bring her to my room," Kitty said, before guiding Devon to the room she shared with Rogue. Rogue was still in her room and had been completely unaware of what had happened in the kitchen.  
  
"Like, Rogue, this is Devon, Marianne's brother. She had an episode in the kitchen. There were, like, flames everywhere. Totally icksome.The flames weren't real," Kitty informed the confused looking goth as Devon put his siter carefully on the bedm where she curled up and continued sleeping.  
  
"I think she's sleeping better then she has in months," Devon quietly said. 


	7. Code name

Just a Girl – Code name.  
  
When Marianne woke up later that day, she was feeling too subdued to object against her brother. She couldn't help but blame herself: she had lost control, and that had almost hurt her brother, the one who always wanted to give her what was best for her. Jean had shown her her room, to her surprise she didn't have to share. Later, Jean had explained that professor Xavier thought her powers were tied to her emotions and that extensive meditation would gain her control. To do that, she needed peace and quietness, something she would not have when sharing her room. Her brother had brought her clothes and personal items, as she had refused to leave the mansion, afraid that she might slip up again.  
  
"So, what do we do now?" Jean flopped down onto the bed as Marianne put the last of her clothing in the closet.  
  
"A room warming party, ofcourse! And girls only!" Kitty chirped, "I'll go like, get Amara and Rogue!" and she was gone.  
  
"I don't think Rogue likes me all that much," Marianne turned to look at the redhead, remembering the glares and ignoring she had gotten from Rogue since she had woken up.  
  
"She'll come around, don't worry. That's just Rogue," Jean smiled at the younger girl who was currently trying to make sure a poster staid attached to the wall.  
  
"You know, if I had my powers under control, I could make an illusion that those posters stuck to the wall," Marianne glared as the posters fell down, again.  
  
"I can help with that, I'll make sure the poster stays straight, you use the tape to stick it to the wall," Jean grinned broadly and used her TK to have the poster mentioned float to the wall as Marianne stuck it to the wall.  
  
"Okay, like, Amara will be up in a minute, she's totally raiding the kitchen, but Rogue says she has to do homework. I don't think she wants to come," Kitty pouted. Marianne slumped ever so slightly, "And I heard professor Xavier say that we, like, don't have to train tonight! So we can make Marianne feel totally at home."  
  
"Training? Please tell me it's in sports," Marianne looked at the brunette with wide eyes.  
  
"No, combat training, fighting, that kind of thing," Jean informed her.  
  
"O God... but I can't fight! I never landed a decent punch in my life! Devon tried to teach me self defense once, he gave up after I sprained my ankle and broke my arm!" Marianne began to panic.  
  
"How did you do that?" a new voice joined in, Amara was standing in the door way.  
  
"Devon tried to teach me how to dodge, I dodged wrong, fell really bad. It was really painfull," Marianne turned to look at the fire caster.  
  
"I'm sure we can work something out with Logan, he's a very good instructor, I'm sure you'll pick up," Jean tried to calm her down.  
  
"Yeah, right, I'll pick up, right? How am I supposed to pick up?! I don't fight! I have a sharp tongue and that is the only thing even remotely capable of hurting about me!" the panicked look on Marianne's face caused Kitty and Amara to break down in giggles, while Jean barely managed to keep a smile masked.  
  
"Why don't we forget about that for now and just get comfortable?" Jean asked, gesturing to the pillows spread on the ground.  
  
"Yeah, like, Marianne, tell us about yourself!" Kitty eagerly nodded and took a large, fluffy, dark purple pillow in possession. They sat in a circle, treats and drinks in the centre. Next to Kitty on her right was Marianne, followed by Jean and Amara sat between Jean and Kitty.  
  
"Okay, uhm, well, you've all already met my older brother, he's very overprotective. My father works for a big software company and travels a lot, he's hardly ever home for long periods at a time. My mother died in a car crash when a drunken driver crashed into her, she died instantly. It was really hard for me to cope, I don't think I'll ever get over it. My mother's name was Sara, she was a real lady from England. We were like night and day. You see, my temper was quite feared, she was one of the few who managed to calm me down enough, quick enough. When we heard the news, I refused to eat and ended up in the hospital. Dad and Devon talked with me for days, and finally, I started to get better again. When I could go home, Devon had quit his job and moved back home to look after me. I had a lot of anger inside, the first weeks were hell for poor Devon. Things were finally getting a bit back on track when my powers manifested. Devon freaked out at first. Hell, I freaked out. He called dad to come back home, he took the first flight he could catch back. I ran away, thinking it would be better for them all if I just left, considering all anti-mutant sympathies, Devon found me, of course, after three days. Took me home, dad had some friend come over who taught me some meditating things and that gained me some control. So, after a while, we figured it would be better to just leave, and moved here. The rest of my story is familiar. I think I was pretty lucky, seeing as my family accepts me for who I am, that I was capable to love my mom the way I did," Marianne concluded her story.  
  
"Wow, that's like, a serious story. Who's next?" Kitty looked around the circle, searching for the next one to tell their life's story.  
  
~*A while later*~  
  
"Kitty! There is no way I'm gonna do that!" Jean gasped, looking shocked at the brunette in front of her.  
  
"Way, you choos dare, Jean, there is no way you weasle out of this one!" Marianne joined in, having loosened up a lot.  
  
"Yeah, like go downstairs and give Scott a kiss!" Kitty squeeled in childish delight as Jean's face turned as red as her hair.  
  
Finally, after a lot of pressuring, Jean went downstairs to the rec room, being trailed by Kitty, who would make sure that she did kiss Scott. After five minutes, Jean came running back into the room and burried her head in a pillow.  
  
"Aw, that bad?" Marianne asked, sporting a huge grin on her face.  
  
"No, that good..." Jean moaned pittifully, refusing to take her head out of the pillow.  
  
"You, like, should have seen his face! It was sooo funny!" Kitty came into the room, phasing through the wall.  
  
"I suggest we stop now, before someone," Marianne looked pointedly at Amara, who pretended to be innocent, "makes one of us streak down the hall. That would be bad, emphasise bad."  
  
"I, like, totally agree with you on that. So, Marianne, picked a code name yet?" Kitty agreed, the tought of herself streaking down the hall, with the possibility of being caught, soon took the fun out of Truth or Dare.  
  
"Code name? Do I have to have one?" Marianne looked at Kitty, not understanding the importance of having a code name.  
  
"A code name is important. It has to do with your powers and it makes it harder for mutant haters to track you down. Mine is Magma, Kitty's is Shadowcat and Jean's... well... Jean, why don't you have a code name?" Amara explained the importance with an air of superiority.  
  
"I couldn't think of one, besides, I like my own name," Jean shrugged.  
  
"Hmm, code name... I create illusions. Help me guys!" Marianne flopped down on her stomache and observed the other three girls in her new room.  
  
"Illusion?" Amara offered.  
  
"Nah, Amara! That's, like, totally lame! It has to be a bit more interesting then Illusion!" Kitty rejected the name.  
  
"Do I get a say in this?" Marianne asked the brunette.  
  
"Sure, as long as you don't pick something lame," Kitty pulled out a blank piece of paper and began writing down names. Sometimes crossing them out, sometimes drawing an exclamation point behind it. The other three girls huddled over the page, discussing names, sometimes even arguing about them. After an hour, they came to an decision.  
  
"Fantasy!" Kitty concluded the debating match, "I mean, you said 'fantasie' is Dutch for 'imagination', and 'fantasy' is really similar to it. You use your imagination in creating illusions and you like reading fantasy books. It sooooo fits!"  
  
"I guess, so, Fantasy it is," Marianne nodded, happy they had finally agreed on a code name. She had doubted they would ever agree on one. She stiffled a yawn and eyed the clock.  
  
"Yeah, you're right, Marianne. It's getting late, and I assume you all have school tomorrow, seeing as it is Wednesday tomorrow. Come on, up, get to bed before Miss Monroe decides to come and send us," Jean too saw the time and ushered Amara and Kitty out of the room.  
  
"And guess who gets to clean up?" Marianne groaned, looking at the mess created in her room, "aw... o well, tomorrow. I'm too tired to do it now."  
  
She shoved the pillows into her closet, put the small plastic stuff in the garbage can, stuffing the empty battles of coke under her desk and turned in for the night. 


	8. Brotherhood

Just a Girl - Brotherhood  
  
"I don't like mister Logan," Marianne said to no one in particular, rubbing her sore left side, "that really hurt. I told him I couldn't fight! But did he believe me? Noooo."  
  
"He just had to know what he had to teach you," Amara sighed as she looked at the older girl. They had just finished a morning training session and Logan had taken Marianne apart to see how far she was. Let's just say that he was putting together a special training program in order to get her from scratch up to speed with the others in as little time as possible.  
  
They had agreed that Marianne would not join any kind of missions untill she learned to defend herself. Actually, it had not been Marianne's choice, she was simply told she wouldn't join on any mission until Logan thought she was ready. And to be honest, she didn't mind that one bit. Although it made her feel a little like a freeloader.  
  
"I know, I know, but, you guys are all so good and I feel completely useless. Fighting never was my thing, though," Marianne burried her head in her hands, "I'm better with words. Don't think there is an X-men debate club, is there?"  
  
"Don't think so," Rogue snorted from behind the wheel. Marianne looked at the gothic girl in surprise: this was actually the first word she had said to her since the day before.  
  
"Uhm, guys? Ze Brozherhood is heading over here," Kurt informed as Rogue pulled the car over to a halt.  
  
"Figures," Kitty snorted, "Marianne, like, don't let those jerks get to you."  
  
"I'm not planning on it. They're mutants too, right?" Marianne kept her eyes on the group that was moving towards them.  
  
"I zhougt Lance was part of that 'zhose jerks'," Kurt looked at the brunette who was first to get out of the car.  
  
"Yeah, but, we, like, keep business and private seperated. Right now, he's a total jerk," Kitty replied.  
  
"Look, a new X-geek," Lance smirked as soon as they were within hearing range.  
  
"Shedoesn'tlookthattough," the silver haired boy spoke.  
  
"Says the moving speed violation," Marianne sneered, "how many tickets do you get a day? The police department must get millions from you!"  
  
"Thereisnolawagainstwalkingfast," Pietro glared at her with hatred.  
  
"No, but there is against flying too low*. I'm surprised you can even stand still! You have no control what so ever. You think you're so hot, I wouldn't even give you the time of day," Marianne had watched him the two days before, and had come to the realisation that she did not like the boy.  
  
"And what is your power, little girl?" Fred asked her.  
  
"What's yours?" Marianne retorted.  
  
"You can't hurt me, my skin is invulnerable," he boasted.  
  
"There are other ways to get hurt. Try living your worst nightmare, try losing everything you care about, there are other ways to get hurt. Even if your skin is invulnerable, your mind isn't," she looked quietly at him.  
  
"Ithinkyoulostit," Pietro sneered at her.  
  
"You claim," Marianne walked forward and poked into Pietro's chest, "to be the," poke, "Brotherhood of Evil Mutants." Poke, "I'll tell you," poke "what I see," poke, "I see a couple," poke, "of boys," poke, "who think they're all that," poke, "while they're just plain scared to death," poke, "to face the real world."poke, "Grow up," poke, "you're scared and you blame the 'normal' humans," poke, "while it is yourself your scared of." At the end of her speech, Pietro stood backed up against the wall. Marianne fixed him with a cold glare, before turning sharply around and stalking off.  
  
"Vow! Remind me never to get her mad!" Kurt grinned broadly.  
  
"I, like, think we have to reconsider the X-men debate club," Kitty giggled as they took of, leaving a stunned looking Pietro to cope with the fact that a girl had just shut him up with only talking.  
  
Rogue simply smirked: so the new kid had a back bone? To be honest, she hadn't thought that Marianne would be capable of doing anything important. Her unableness to fight had only strengthened that opinion. She had figured she was just a girl with an power that would end up destroying her, as she seemed to have no control over her powers.  
  
Illusions, Rogue thought to herself, that were Marianne's powers, they were based upon deception, much like Mystique's. Mystique had got her hurt, and she was not about to allow anyone else to use and hurt her like Mystique had done. Even a girl who had managed to shut Pietro up.  
  
*I know someone who got a ticket for speeding, but only, the cop didn't say speeding, he said, and I quote, 'flying too low'. So that does happen. Now that person who got the ticket always races like an idiot, so there's no surprise. 


	9. Not inadequate

Just a Girl – Not inadequate  
  
The schoolday had been strenuous, everyone knew she was a mutant, why would she otherwise ride with the goth to school? Obviously not because they were great pals, they were far from it. She had heard the rumors and whispers behind her back, and it hurt. Yesterday, they had seen her as a person, now, they considered her a 'mutie freak'. The rumors about her powers were amusing, however. Some thought she could melt them if they looked her in the eyes, others thought she had some kind of mind control and then there were those who thought she was a vampire like creature, drinking blood and the likes of that.  
  
Marianne had expected it, though, and was jumpy the entire day. Afraid to be alone, thinking someone would get to her, make her lose control. She stuck to the group, but was quiet all day long.  
  
"Like, Marianne, is something wrong?" Kitty asked, outside after school.  
  
"It'll be fine, just a bad day," Marianne smiled at the younger girl, suddenly, she heard someone honk and she looked up to see her brother's pick-up truck.  
  
"Like, go on, I'll tell Rogue your brother will drie you home," Kitty smiled, seeing the eagerness of the girl to go to her brother.  
  
"Thanks Kitty! Bye! I'll see you at dinner!" Marianne thanked the girl before running to her brother.  
  
"Hey M. They treating you all right at the mansion?" Devon grinned broadly at her, had been worried over her the entire day, since his mother's death, he had taken care of his younger sister. Having her move into the mansion had been hard on him, but he knew it was for the better.  
  
"It's great there. I think they can really help me. Mister Logan is going to teach me how to fight, and they're all very nice. Well, Mister Logan is gruff, but Jean says he's always like that. Rogue doesn't like me all that much, Jean says she has issues with trusting people," Marianne clomb into the passenger seat, "the other kids at school don't like it, though. You should hear the rumors."  
  
"They're bothering you? At school?" Devon turned his head sharply to look at her.  
  
"Devon! Road! I really don't wanna die!" Marianne protested against his shift of attention. She let out a reliefed breath as he turned his attention back to the road. "It's not that big of a deal. Just whispering, rumors. Besides, Kitty, Kurt, Amara, Bobby and the others are there and they back me up."  
  
"Why are they teaching you how to fight? I didn't hear anything about fighting, I don't know if I like this Marianne," Devon sped up a little.  
  
"Well, basically it's just self defense. And mister Logan really knows what he is doing. I promise, Devon, I'll show you that you made a good decission. So, what does dad say?" Marianne changed the subject, she didn't want to tell him what professor Xavier had told her what she would do if she would become a member of the X-men.  
  
"He wants to have a talk with the professor, makes sure he's telling the truth. He's coming back this Saturday. I'll pick him up and drive him over," Devon grew silent after that, not really knowing what else to say. He hated that she was a mutant, not because he hated mutants, but because of how other people looked at them, because she was in for a hard life, and that he could do nothing to help it. Her moving into that mansion proved itto him: he couldn't help her, no matter how much he wanted to help her. He was powerless, perhaps, if he had been a mutant, he would have been able to help her.  
  
"I'm Fantasy," Marianne suddenly spoke up and saw Devon look confused at her, "it's my nickname, code name if you please. Almost everyone in the mansion has one. Well, except for Jean and Rogue. Kitty, Jean and Amara helped me pick one."  
  
"It's a very good name, Fantasy, like the sound of that. Well, Fantasy, how is baldy going to help you get control?" Devon smirked.  
  
"Meditation, a lot of meditation. He thinks my power is tied to my emotions, so I have to get them under control. And his name is professor Charles Xavier, he deserves more respect then 'baldy'," she wrinkled her nose to express her distaste in his choice of nicknames, "and Miss Ororo can help me, she has to keep her emotions under control too."  
  
"The one with the white hair? Figured, she looks like an ice queen to me," Devon snorted, knowing he would get on her nerves this way. These people had won Marianne's respect, and she didn't like hearing people talk bad about those who had her respect.  
  
"I'll have you know, Devon Jong, she can kick your ass all the way to where ever dad is and that she is NOT an ice queen. She's a weather witch. She controls the weather," Marianne retorted.  
  
"So, you really like them then, wanna go out for an ice cream?" Devon asked her, Marianne quickly agreed to that, but warning him she had to be at the institute before dinner time, because she had to help make it.  
  
~*Later, in the kitchen at the Institute*~  
  
"But isn't it hard, controlling your emotions? Not being able to get mad at someone even if they deserve it?" Marianne asked the white haired woman standing next to her.  
  
"I will not lie to you, child, it is very difficult, but it is necesary," the weather witch softly smiled at the girl, while carefully watching how she made the dessert, "you know that well. Care to explain how and why?"  
  
"My mom, I wanted to be like her so much. I had her learn me to cook, make clothes, everything. Didn't make me any more of a lady, though. I'm scared, miss Ororo, I live on my emotions, having to keep them under control has always been a problem for me. Devon worries too, he's afraid I'll change with this," Marianne focused her attention on the decorations of the dessert.  
  
"I can understand your worries, child, and I'm afraid that I can't say it won't change you, merely that it could be for the better. And there is no reason to call me 'miss', Marianne," Ororo immediately understood the girl's worries.  
  
"You know, mi... Ororo, you remind me of my mother in many ways, you're even more a lady then she was. But everything here, it makes me feel so... so inadequate. You can all fight, control your powers to some point, and here I come. The girl who can't land a punch if her life depended on it, who couldn't get a hold of herself when her mother died, when her powers manifested and generally fails at controlling that power," Marianne clenched her left fist, "I feal like a freeloader. I want to help, Ororo, I truly want to help, but if I can't be on the team, I don't know how to help."  
  
"You are far from inadequat. You are simply a creature of the heart, and control is difficult for those, there is nothing to be ashamed of. A creature of the heart is often the most honest and giving person one can ever meet, child. And you won't be useless. For one, I heard Hank is searching for someone to train to be a doctor for mutants. Perhaps you would like to talk to him about that," Ororo pur her hand comfortingly on the girl's shoulder.  
  
After that, Marianne didn't speak a word, but smiled up at the older woman. Thanking her for assuring her that she was not useless, not a freeloader, but most of all, not inadequat. 


	10. Shadow!

Just a Girl – Shadow?!?  
  
"I adore my brother, I love his girlfriend but if I ever get mixed up again in one of their silly fights, I will kill them both! Slowly!" Marianne stomped into the mansion, it was near christmass, and her stay at the Institute had done her a lot of good. She was slowly learning to control her power. Hank was happy to have someone who liked to help him out in the med-lab. Her inability to fight, she made up for with her ability to learn what Hank taught her about how to take care of injuries.  
  
"What was it about now?" Jean looked up at the girl.  
  
"She wants Devon to come with her to Canada to visit her family. He doesn't wanna go because he doesn't wanna leave me here. And I really want him to go. He's such an idiot!" Marianne threw her coat over a chair and fell into the same chair.  
  
"You, like, told him this?" Kitty looked up from the game.  
  
"I did. I'm betting I'm gonna get a phone call this evening with him telling how sorry he is, but that he made up with Bridget and is going with her. So I'll be spending christmass here. Dad's stuck in England, negotiations aren't going to well," Marianne frowned slightly at that thought, "it'll give me some time to read those books I borrowed from mister McCoy."  
  
"It's getting serious?" Jean asked, Marianne wondered what she meant: her brother's relationship with Bridget, or her wanting to become a doctor.  
  
"He thinks she's the one. One with a capital O. She thinks the same. It's sickening to see them, I'm honestly glad I moved out. And yes, I really want to become a doctor," Marianne gagged as she thought of just how her brother would make up with Bridget, "Bridget knows I'm a mutant, and she thinks it's adorable how overprotective he is of me. Honestly, I'm doubting she has all her marbles."  
  
"But you'll, like, be okay here? I mean, only Rogue, Scott, the professor and mister McCoy are staying," Kitty asked the girl, "you could, like, come with me. I'm totally sure my parents wouldn't mind."  
  
"You're sweet, Kitty, but I'm staying. And I promise, I'll be fine. It'll give me a chance to catch up on my reading. Just go and don't worry about me, have a great time with your parents. Hey, I know you're Jewish and all, but I still got ya something for christmass, just wait here," Marianne remembered the gifts she had got everyone and quickly hurried upstairs. Tomrrow, they would all leave, well, except Hank, professor Xavier, Rogue and Scott.  
  
~*Next day*~  
  
"Goodbye Kurt, have fun with your parents," Marianne waved the last of her friends goobye.  
  
"Zee you after chirstmass, later mein zister," Kurt grinned with his usual, mischevious grin on his face. Marianne was seriously doubting the wiseness in her choice of her gift for Kurt, a large box filled with prank pulling stuff.  
  
"Kurt! Ah'm not yer sister!" Rogue objected to his misinterpretation to their relationship.  
  
As he too disappeared out of view, Marianne's hand dropped to hang next to her side. Devon had indeed left for Canada and her father was still stuck in London. It stunk, big time. She looked aside and saw Scott, Rogue, the professor and Hank standing there.  
  
"I'm going out. I'll be back for dinner," she announced, feeling an urge to get away for a short amount of time.  
  
"I'll give you a lift, I have to go to Bayville anyway," Scott offered, Marianne sighed: Scott had developed into another over protective brother. She didn't decline an offered ride, though, and soon he dropped her of in Bayville, telling her he would be at the library.  
  
She usually felt at ease, walking through the mall, but not today. She felt as if someone was watching her every move. And that scared the living daylights out of her. She had always gone to the mall with Kitty, sometimes also with Jean and Amara. It didn't feel save, and her mind screamed for her to go to Scott and get her out of Bayville and back to the Institute. Her heart almost jumped in her throat as she made it to the library.  
  
Scott saw her coming towards the library through the window. She looked distressed, he cursed silently at whomever got her upset. He cared for her like a little sister. He paled as he saw a black haired boy coming up behind her on an old motorcycle. Scott quickly ran to the library exit.  
  
"Let me go!" Marianne yelled as she felt two arms wrap themselves around her waist and pull her onto the bike. She saw Scott come out of the library and yelled for help.  
  
"He can't help ya, doll, I told ya I would find ya fer christmass," she heard a familiar voice tell at her. She stiffened.  
  
"Shadow?! You let me go this instant! You idiot! Jerk!" Marianne's mood changed from afraid to very, very mad as they sped of on his bike.  
  
Scott cursed again: he wasn't fast enough. He quickly weighed his options: get into his car and try to find them, which would be nearly impossible. That boy knew what he was doing and he had just kidnapped Marianne. Scott quickly jumped into his car and rushed back to the mansion.  
  
"Professor! It's Marianne, some boy just kidnapped her!" Scott rushed into the professor's office.  
  
"What?!" it was only then, that Scott noticed the Hank was there too.  
  
"She was walking towards the library, she looked afraid of something. Then I saw a boy coming up behind her on his motorcycle. I rushed outside, but I wasn't fast enough. He pulled her with him," Scott was now gasping, he had run the way from his car to the professor's office.  
  
"I'll go look for her with Cerebro, you go and find Rogue," professor Xavier quickly took charge. Scott and the professor left the room, Hank rose from his chair, casting a last glance at the game he had been playing with Charles, he had almost won. Check, he had been about to say it when Scott had come bursting in. Somehow, the small victory seemed unimportant now, as the worry over Marianne overtook him. Her cheerful nature was a welcome change to the solitude in the med-lab. Her curiosity was heart warming, and that she could now, very well, be in grave danger tore at his heart. 


	11. Conversation

Just a Girl - Conversation  
  
"Hey doll, take it easy, would ya?" the black haired boy tumbled away from Marianne, rubbing his jaw.  
  
"Take it easy?! Take it easy?! You just friggin' kidnapped me! You scared me! I almost had a heart attack! And you tell me to take it easy?!" Marianne had her fists clenched as she glared the the dark haired boy.  
  
"I thought ya'd be happy I kept my promise. Damn, doll, it was hard trackin' ya down," he grinned at her.  
  
"Shadow! Do you actually expect me to drop on my knees and thank you for what you did? Geez, you're even more full of yourself then the last time I saw you. Which, by the way, I'm still mad over! You DUMPED me in a city I didn't know after the very day I had just been almost killed by this predatory, furry, guy with fangs!" suddenly, Shadow began to wonder if this had actually been the best way to get in touch with her again, "And I'm NOT a doll!"  
  
"So, who was goggles boy? Your boyfriend?" Shadow tried to switch topics.  
  
"Thank god he isn't. He lives at the Institute I moved into a couple of months ago. I don't think I'd even survive a minute. He has a stick up a certain part of his anatomy, man, he can't even losen up enough for his girlfriend to quarrel with. O god, what will they think? You've most certainly done it this time. 'Goggles boy', as you so lovingly put it, is every bit the over protective brother as Devon is, well, except the blood relative part, and he is far more dangerous. I will most certainly enjoy it watching you trying to explain to him why you kidnapped me in the middle of the street," Marianne crossed her arms and smirked, "you're lucky you won't have to face mister Logan. He's very overprotective of his students."  
  
"I'm in trouble, ain't I?" Shadow now comprehended the magnitude of his thoughtless actions. He was a street smart brat. Marianne had met him in the three days she had spent on the streets. He too was a mutant, his power was to manipulate shadows into solid, completely black, objects. Hence his name, Shadow. He had saved her life from a feral mutant, who had thought Marianne made good prey. The day after, he had left her, saying he would find her again at christmass. What he hadn't told her, was that he had called her brother to tell him where to find her.  
  
"Shadow, trouble doesn't cover it. Now, I'm going now, goodbye, have a nice life," she patted him on the head as if he was some five-year-old.  
  
Shadow grumbled something under his breath as she did that: he was Shadow! The fear of the streets! Not some boy you could just brush aside!  
  
"You ain't goin' Marianne, I just spent a month trackin' ya, and I'll be damned if I don't, at least, get ta spent some time with ya. An' you know you can't get away from me," he warned her.  
  
"Great, just great. You know you can't keep me here. When 'goggles' and the others come, you won't stand a chance and I will enjoy watching them kick your sorry ass," Marianne took the time to look around. They were in a cave, it was snowing outside. Shadow's old motorcycle was in there too. She had been calling him names and had been too mad at him to notice their surroundings.  
  
"So, how's life treatin' ya? What? Can't I at least try to have a conversation? Predator boy not givin' any troubles? Who taught ya to punch like that? Last time..." there, he was cut off by Marianne.  
  
"Last time I was unable to even keep myself standing in a fight. And I'm still not good enought o keep myself alive in a life or death battle. And no, predator boy didn't find me again. Me and Devon, I told you about Devon, right? Well, we moved here a couple of months ago. I lost control over my powers after three days. Three. Friggin'. Days. Rogue knocked me out, which was the most reasonable thing to do and took me to the Institute. I had a little episode there as Devon told me I was to move in there. But I did. There's this old man in wheelchair, he's really nice and teaches me to control my powers, his name is Charles Xavier. Then there is this gruff guy, who teaches me to fight and meditate. There's also a woman with white hair, she's a real lady. And then there are lots of other kids living there," she had started out with a snappy remark, but now had a soft smile on her face, "they're all mutants."  
  
"Xavier?! As in Professor Charles Xavier?! Shit doll, you know his 'students' fight? You know that living there is dangerous?" his eyes widened.  
  
"I know, and one day, I'll be fighting alongsides with them, when mister Logan says I'm good enough," Marianne grinned at him. For the moment, she decided to set the anger aside. For one day, he had been her best friend, before he had dumped her. And he hadn't changed a bit. He would leave again, she just knew it, but as she was stuck here, she'd rather spent the time with a friend then being mad at him.  
  
"Like hell you are! I didn' save yer life ta let ya get yerself killed," if possible, his eyes widened even more.  
  
"And what are you gonna do 'bout it? You won't be around to stop me," she placed her hands on her hips and glared at him, "you'll leave, again. Do you know what it was like, Shadow? I throught you were my friend, someone who would look out for me. And you just left me."  
  
"Well then, doll, I'll just have ta prove ya wrong, won't I? An' there ain't no way in hell I'm gonna let ya join them in fightin'. No matter how much you improve," he stated with an infuriating grin.  
  
This was what she hated the most about him. In one day day, one freaking day, she had come to look at him as her best friend, someone to depend on. He had something about him that just made her trust him. That grin was part of it. Perhaps she was a softie, yeah, that was probably it.  
  
"And just how are you gonna do that, Shadow?" she spoke in a low, dangerous voice.  
  
"I'll just have to see if the professor would interested in havin' an idiotic street brat in that fancy mansion o' his," he shot her an 'I'm so innocent' look, which she didn't buy. Shadow was a lot of things, but two things he most certainly wasn't: innocent, or a liar. 


	12. Meeting

Peace215: thanks, I wasn't really sure if Marianne was like a real person, since this is my first OC-story. But, uhm, what's with the list? About what? Thanks for the cookie, by the way, I love chocolate cookies!  
  
Damn-my-name-was-taken: yup, Shadow's a bit creepy, but he's really a good guy. He and Marianne WON'T get involved, their relationship is strictly very good friend, and yes, Van, I'm sure you're more attractive then him. *sjeesj, boys and their ego!*  
  
Ej-83: Shadow's NOT her ex, believe it or not, I know where I'm (kinda) going with this story, and it's not in that direction.  
  
Agent-G: I'm glad you liked it so far. Thanks for the comment on Quicksilver, I didn't know whether that was a good part.  
  
Thanks for the reviews!  
  
Just a Girl - Meeting  
  
"Man, can't we have one normal christmass? Now we gotta go an' rescue Marianne?" Rogue huffed as she trudged through the falling snow.  
  
"She got kidnapped, Rogue, it's not like she had any choice," Scott replied stiffly.  
  
"She still can't handle herself in battle. Ah don' think she evah will," Rogue pointed out.  
  
"She just needs more training. Have patience with her. You're always being hard on her, Rogue. You keep on forgetting that she grew up with people protecting her. And the guy who kidnapped her, knew exactly when and who to kidnap. He must have been watching us for a while," Scott was going into paranoia mode.  
  
"Scott! Get off o' the paranoid kick! Ah mean, Marianned has the whole 'damsel in distress' thang goin' fer 'r. Add the fact that livin' with us has made 'r known as a mutant, it probably has nothin' ta do with us X- men," Rogue tried to calm him, but it was true, Marianne had the whol helpless girl thing going, once you counted out her ability to mouthe you off quite badly, she seemed unnervingly harmless  
  
"This is not helping, Rogue, Do you wanna go tell her brother that she got kidnapped from under my very nose? I don't think any optic blasts can save me from him. You remember how badly he scared those stuck-up mutant hating kids that were throwing stuff at her three weeks ago?" Scott winced at the treatment he would recieve from Devon if Marianne would have been hurt while she was under their care.  
  
"Good point. The professor did say she was out here, right?" Rogue supressed the urge to grin.  
  
"Yeah, she was supposed to be in a nearby cave," Scott looked around, the snow was starting to fall less and less. To be honest, he didn't understand why someone would kidnap a person and then keep her close to where he had kidnapped her from, especially when he had seen that she had friends who would go look for her.  
  
Finally, Scott picked up sounds, he signalled Rogue and the narrowed in on the location, only to hear Marianned lecturing her kidnapper.  
  
"You know, Shadow, you are by far the most brainless guy I have ever met in my life. I knew that the first day I met you, taking on the black panther guy by YOURSELF! You never think, you NEVER consider how you actions effect people around you. You didn't even bother to ask me if it was okay with me to be left behind. You didn't even bother to wonder if it would be okay with ME if you come racing BACK into my life," they heard Marianne's voice.  
  
"Someone made Marianne very pissed of," Scott whispered.  
  
"Ah agree on that," Rogue nodded. If there was something she respected about Marianne, it was her temper, as she had witnessed some of her outbursts against the Brotherhood when they bothered her at school.  
  
"Aw, come on doll. As in my own defense, that black panter guy was tryin' ta kill ya. An' I left ya so yer brother could come an' get ya. 'Sides, I promised ya I'd find ya 'fore christmass, didn' I?" another voice, Scott had no doubt that was her kidnapper. Although kidnapper seemed a bit of a big word. Marianne did seem to know him from one point of her life and the way they talked, he figured that Marianne had some issues with the guy.  
  
"And it stopped snowing, so we are going back to the mansion where YOU can explain why you kidnapped me from under Scott's nose," Scott could practically see her poking at the man's chest.  
  
"You don't have to do that, Marianne, we came looking for you," Scott finally decided it would be better to step out into the cave opening.  
  
"Cyclops! Rogue! You guys came for me!" Marianne gushed, forgetting all about Shadow, Scott, however, hadn't and was glaring at him. Although that didn't quite reach target because of his shades.  
  
"Hey! What's with the enthusiasm, doll? It's not like I'd hurt ya or somethin'," Shadow objected against her being so glad of seeing the two other people.  
  
"Yeah, you only scared her half to death by kidnapping her," Scott delivered with a very obvious sneer, "Marianne, come here, we're going home."  
  
"Well, I'm goin' with ya," Shadow pointedly pretended not to hear Scott's hostility.  
  
"What?! No! No way!" Scott stepped towards the other boy. Shadow looked of about his age, his unruly black hair fell to reach his shoulders, his dark brown eyes had defiance and rebellion clearly written in them. Scott wondered how Marianne could know such a person, he just didn't seem like the kind of person that would hang around Marianne.  
  
"Ah hafta agree with Cyclops on that one," Rogue joined in, keeping her eyes fixed on Shadow.  
  
"But... but he could really help you guys out. He's very good with fighting, he saved my life once, I mean: REALLY saved my life. Some big, black panther mutant thought I was... was good prey. If it hadn't been for Shadow, I would have been dead," Marianne shivered at the memory of being stalked by that mutant, being hunted down, knowing that the very next minute could very well mean the end of her life.  
  
Scott grumbled at this, realising that they did owe this Shadow something for saving Marianne's life. Even though they didn't know her back then, but if it wasn't for him, they would never had known her.  
  
"Okay, you can come. But break one rule, ONE rule, Shadow, and you're out," Scott warned him, Rogue simply huffed.  
  
On their way back to the mansion, they didn't talk, well, Scott asked Marianne if she was okay. According to her, she was fine, and promptly sneezed. That caused Scott to cast yet another glare at Shadow, who was towing his bike along. 


	13. First sign of trouble

Damn-my-name-was-taken: Well, basically, Shadow's just your typical, refusing to grow up, kind of guy. He's basically a good guy, just real immature at things and a bit (too) impulsive. O, and Van, Marianne says that she WON'T save you, because she likes Jaeger, and if Jaeger wants to kill you, she won't intervene (LOL).  
  
Just a Girl – First sign of trouble  
  
Scott wasn't happy, not happy at all. The professor had agreed to let Shadow stay, even though both Scott and, to much surprise, Hank were against it. He had kidnapped a member of the mansion, after all. Even though it had been with good intentions, which was highly doubted by Scott.  
  
As it appeared, Shadow was indeed of Scott's age, he was 19, pretty close to 20. He'd left home after the manifestation, he had been 16 at the time, and taught himself control, which had taken him two years. He had met Marianne while she had been on the streets, and being close to be prey for some feral mutant who let his instincts roam free. That scored some good points for him, but when they heard how he had dumped her in a strange city, those points had been erased again.  
  
To top it all of, Marianne was developing a cold, for which Shadow was blamed, of course. Now, the two were settled in front of the television, playing some games while Rogue kept an eye on the two of them. As much as she didn't trust Marianne, she did realize that it was important for the others to keep the, now 18 year old, save. And she absolutely didn't trust this Shadow. He hadn't even given them his real name.  
  
Rogue quietly listened to the conversation between the two. Marianne was picking on Shadow and Shadow let her.  
  
"I have to go now, I promised Mister McCoy I would study those texts he gave me," Marianne rose from the couch after she had, once again, beaten Shadow at the game they were playing. Shadow grumbled something under his breath that he wanted to spent time with his bike and took of after she had left.  
  
"Mister McCoy? You in here?" Marianne called out as she entered the med- lab, and she sneezed.  
  
"Down here," was his reply and Marianne stepped in. The med-lab was becoming more and more familiar to her. She spent a great deal of time there, helping McCoy with his experiments, trying to get him to give her more books to study. Somewhere in her mind, she had given up on becoming a strong fighter, and was focusing on becoming the best doctor she could become. That way, she could mean something to the team, perhaps more then as a fighter. They had more then enough people able to fight, but they only had one doctor.  
  
"I figured if I would spent more time with Shadow, I would bash his skull in. He gets really annoying sometimes," Marianne found the blue furred man studying something under the microscope, "I'm sorry if I worried you. I never thought he would hold up on his promise. You don't like him, do you?"  
  
She looked at McCoy, he was like a favorite uncle towards her, heck, everyone in the house was like family towards her.  
  
"I won't pretend to like this Shadow, or trust him. But he appears to have your affection," Hank replied, not looking up.  
  
"Well, he has that kind of effect on people and yes he had my affections, a time ago, before he kidnapped me. I'm just making sure he won't suspect it when I hit back, hard," Marianne sported a seriously creepy grin.  
  
"Remember never to get you mad. Is there something you wanted to see me about?" Hank chuckled.  
  
"Yes, actually, I was doing some research on mutation repressers, you know, to help Rogue and Scott. I've been at it since I got my computer, my hacking skills aren't that good, you know? And I didn't really wanted to involve anyone before I knew there was something to go after," she twitched a litlle with her fingers.  
  
"You found something," Hank concluded.  
  
"Yeah, and it's not good either. Genoshians, they're developing something to repress mutations, they wanna use mutants for slaves. But, if we can capture one of those devices and have Forge take a look at it, we can probably make it work so that it can be used to turn a mutation on and off. I just finished copying the schematics," she showed him the stack of paper, a worried frown on her face.  
  
"And why exactly were you investigating this. Excuse me if I don't find the connection between this and medical texts. Not that this isn't a good job. I'll inform the professor right away," Hank's eyes widened as he flipped through the pages.  
  
"I just figured, that with all the anti-mutant sympathies going on, someone would want to figure out how to surpress powers. I just wanted to do something usefull," Marianne fidgeted.  
  
"And usefull this is, and dangerous. You do realise, if it is found out you were able to hack those documents, you will be on the most-wanted list, do you not?" Hank looked up at her.  
  
"Hey, Kitty's still way better at this hacking stuff then I am, I just have less inhibitions about doing the hacking into government files," she grinned, knowing fully well that this behaviour was frowned upon by the adults, well, Logan not counting. She was hoping that her breaking the rules would be forgotten because of her discovery, but she knew that would happen the very day that Logan would wear a pink tutu. Which would be the twelfth of never.  
  
Hank gave her some tests to run in the lab while he went to discuss the matter with the professor. Which was only because she didn't want to face the professor and tell him she had broken important rules and see him give her 'I'm not angry, I'm disappointed' look. She hated that look with a passion. She knew what she did wasn't right, but she didn't regret it. Rogue and Scott deserved to be out there and not constantly be afraid of hurting people.  
  
The tests were running along nicely, and she was waiting for the computer to finish its analyses of two of them. They weren't very big tests, she knew that, they were to let her get the hang of it.  
  
~*With the Professor*~  
  
"This is a serious matter, Hank, when everyone is back, we should sent a team to the lab where this is being done. This could become a serious risk. You said Marianne found this out? By hacking?" Charles had finished reading through the documents Hank had given him. They gave him great concern, but he couldn't call the students back. They deserved, no, they needed time with their family. Life was hard enough as it is.  
  
"Yes, she is in the lab at the moment, running some tests," Hank nodded, "What will be her punishment?"  
  
"She has broken the rules yes, even though it will prove helpful. Three weeks of being grounded and extra trainingsessions with Logan when he returns for two weeks," Charles decided.  
  
~*In the lab*~  
  
Marianne heard the doors open, and turned around to see Hank walk in. She grinned at the blue mutant: "The tests are running along nicely. They should be finished in an hour. So, what's my sentence? For hacking without permission?"  
  
"Three weeks grounded and two weeks extra training with Logan," he reported, "the professor will put the team on it as soon as everyone has returned."  
  
"I'll go with them," Marianne simply stated, walking over to a computer to check on the results on one of the tests. Here, she was in her element. She loved testing things, sure, they went wrong often enough. She still hadn't lived down that one tiny little explosion she had created because of a little to much of one chemical substance.  
  
"Marianne, you will not go with them, you are still far from ready," Hank objected to the girl's simple statement.  
  
"What if they are keeping mutants there, mister McCoy? What if those mutants need help? The team is going to need someone who can give first aid quickly, while they worry about possible attacks. I know I'm not ready to fight, but I've been talking with the professor, he thinks it would be possible for me to cast an illusion of me not being there, making me invisble, as a matter of fact," she frowned a little as she read the results, "mister McCoy, these results aren't coming out as I had expected. Did I do something wrong?"  
  
"A small anomalie, nothing to worry about. But you are not going, Marianne," Hank refused to let go of the topic.  
  
"We'll see," was her only reply, and Hank knew at that very moment he was not going to win this argument. 


	14. Agreement

Agent-G: yup, Shadow's annoying. And to be honest: he is based on SEVERAL guys who I know. If Vincent will kick his butt, will he kick their's too? Pretty please with sugar on top?  
  
Just a Girl - Agreement  
  
All in all, being grounded wasn't that bad. She got to spent a lot of time in the med-lab, Shadow had promised her to teach her how to ride a bike and now that the other students were coming back, it wasn't as boring as it was before. Ofcourse, they all heard the kidnapping story and they all eyed Shadow suspiciously, but Shadow couldn't care less.  
  
What troubled Marianne, however, that no matter what, when she was talking to Shadow, there was always someone around. As if they thought he would kidnap her again. Didn't they understand he was just an immature boy who didn't think before he acted?  
  
No, they didn't. And she knew why.  
  
"I hate this!" she exclaimed, falling onto her bed, "I hate being the little sister of the X-men. That's all I'll ever be, but I won't have to settle for it. Face it M they don't need you here, they don't need someone to worry constantly about."  
  
She had just returned from a meeting with Xavier and it had taken a lot of persuasion to get him to let her join the team when they would go to that lab. On the promise that she would stay invisible all the time. During the couple of months, she had gained a great deal of knowledge over her mutation. She had learned that intangible illusions wouldn't drain her, no matter what, but making them tangible for too long a time, could result into her falling into a coma.  
  
None of the others were thrilled to hear that she would be joining them. It stung, a lot. Ofcourse it was only worry, but it still stung.  
  
She had been practicing very hard with her power, and she had it almost completely under control. Almost. She still winced when she remembered her being angry at Kurt for pulling a prank on her and that her illusions had decided to take a walk on the wildside, which resulted in a monkey following Kurt around and only he could see it. That had been fun, and Kurt hadn't pulled one over her again since. But then that one where she had put Logan in an illusional maze when he came to get her for extra training, that had not been fun. Mainly because it had been tangible and she had woken up two days later in the med-lab, with a killer headache. She had profoundly apologised to Logan, after calling Bridget and begged her to please come and get Devon before he drove her nuts. Ofcourse two days of being out cold after a little laps of control didn't do anything for the others believing she could handle herself.  
  
"What the hell are you thinkin' doll? Yer not goin' with us to that lab. It's too dangerous!" the door flung open and Shadow stormed in. Yes, he would go too, they would most likely need all the help they could get.  
  
"I was believing I made my point quite clearly. We don't know if there are mutants there, but if they're there, they are going to need help. Hank can't do that on his own and you all need to worry about making sure that no one gets killed," she didn't look op, she did not need to see another big brother, or big sister. If there were people who, remotely, believed that she could take care of herself, that would be Xavier, Ororo, Logan and, surprisingly, Rogue.  
  
"You could get hurt," Shadow sputtered.  
  
"I could get hurt crossing the street! I could get hurt walking down the stairs! Get out, Shadow, and don't any of you come back in here unless you decide to see me as something else then a little sister and start seeing me as an equal! Out. Now," the venom in her voice was obvious and Shadow realised that she was on the border of losing control. He might be immature, but he preferred not to be on one of Marianne's illusions, or let her get hurt because she made it tangible. So he quickly made himself scarce.  
  
'I think I'd better have a talk with the prof about this,' he mused to himself and began to make his way to the professor's office.  
  
Marianne truly, honestly felt like tearing something apart. There was only so much overprotectiveness a person could take, and as she considered it, she had taken her fair share, more then her fair share. First her brother growing up, then her brother after their mother's death, now the entire population of the mansion, Xavier, Ororo, Logan and Rogue excluded. The others, well, let's just say she was feeling that it would be completely justified if she would conjure up some ghost illusions and have them haunt the mansion for at least two or three days.  
  
Instead of doing that, though, she knew that would get her grounded beyond infinity, well, not that, but her being grounded would be extended for at least a couple of weeks, if not more, she went to her stereo and turned it on to one of the highest volumes possible.  
  
"Marianne! Turn that music down! Ah appreciate yer taste, but not tha damned volume!" Rogue was banging at the door three minutes later. Marianne grimaced, but did nothing to turn the music down. After several other tries, Rogue plainly broke her way through the door.  
  
"What's the matter with ya?!" Rogue stomped into the room and turned the music down, "that coulda raised the dead!"  
  
"Yeah yeah, you owe me a new door," Marianne muttered, not moving from her perch in the window, looking out over the grounds of the institute.  
  
Rogue looked at the girl and one thing rang through her mind: uhoh. Things were most certainly off. First of all, Marianne would not react so bland at breaking down the door if she was okay. Second, she only palyed her music that loud when she was upset. Third, when she sat in the window with that look, she was sad.  
  
"Should Ah go get Jean?" Rogue asked the girl.  
  
"No! No, I don't need 'big sister' to come smother me too," Marianne didn't look at Rogue.  
  
"Okay," the gothic girl closed the door. She wasn't close to Marianne, but if she figured the mood the other girl wa sin out right, then it would be better if she talked with her instead of Jean or any of the others.  
  
"Don't tell me you're going on the overprotective tour too, Rogue," the bitterness in Marianne's voice was alarming.  
  
"So that's it. You're feeling smothered, why didn't ya tell someone?" Rogue made herself comfortable on the bed.  
  
"Yeah, right. 'Hey, guys, I'm sick and tried of being the little sister of the X-men.' Do you even realise how they would take that? I don't like being what they think I am," a very deep sigh was emmited from Marianne.  
  
"What do they think ya are?" Rogue asked tentavely.  
  
"Helpless, defenseless, useless, take your pick."  
  
"Ah guess ya could be raht, but ya've gotta realise that there's this somethin' around ya. Somethin' that makes ya look so innocent, not somethin' we're all too used to," Rogue sighed.  
  
"I'm just a girl, I know. I never had to fight mutant haters. The only close call I ever had was when Shadow saved me. But why can't they understand that I want to help, that I am my own responsibility?" Marianne turned to look at Rogue.  
  
"Perhaps they don' wanna understand," Rogue offered.  
  
"I just... I just don't feel as usefull here. I think there is somewhere out there where I can help more then here. Let's face it, I'm the back-up of back-up, I could go on. I wanna go out an' face the world, not being locked up in here with more over-protective not blood relatives then I can handle," Marianne grinned, but there was no humor in that grin.  
  
"Ya wanna run 'way," Rogue concluded.  
  
"Running away sounds so big, I was thinking more along the lines of a little roadtrip after graduation, try to find my place. Only one problem, they won't lemme go, I already know that," Marianne turned back to the window.  
  
"Ya know, Marianne, we don' get along too great, but Ah think Ah can help ya out with that one. We could go on a road trip togethah after graduation. Whaddaya say?" Rogue honestly didn't know what possessed her, but as long as it would keep Marianne from running away and bringing the mansion into an uproar.  
  
"You'd do that? With me?" Marianne stared at her with big eyes.  
  
Inwardly, Rogue already groaned, but she nodded. For a minute, she thought Marianne would go and hug her, she growled a warning. Marianne settled for a thankfull smile.  
  
"Well, ya did tha hackin' ta help meh out, so Ah'll help ya out," Rogue shrugged.  
  
~Report to my office at once. Logan has just returned~ Xavier's voice suddenly rang through their minds.  
  
"Guess we'll have to cut the bonding short," Marianne grinned before rushing to Xavier's office. 


	15. The fall

Agent-G: Yay! Way ta go Vincent!  
  
!Warning! This chapter is sad, very sad, and I don't mean my writing skills.  
  
Just a Girl – The fall  
  
"Marianne..." Scott started, again, the umpteenth time.  
  
"Yeah yeah yeah, I'll try to stay outta trouble. But I'm not promising anything," Marianne sighed. They were just about to reach the lab and Marianne had been on the recieving end of one too many 'you're going to stay out of sight and not get into any trouble' speeches.  
  
She was wearing a form fitting, darkblue suit with a red X across of it. Hank had given her a belt with small pouches in which she had several bandages, painkillers and other first-aid items.  
  
"Leave 'r be already, she'll be fahne," Rogue grumbled, she was seated behind Marianne.  
  
The basic idea was that Marianne would cast her invisible illusion over herself and she would try to find the mutants held there, if any. Since they would most likely need medical assistance and Hank was a bit too obvious. Scott, Rogue and Logan would cause a great deal of destruction as the others would go after Marianne and take possible victims out of the lab.  
  
They landed and everything went according to plan. Untill Marianne found her way into the building and Scott started the diversions. Then, things went haywire.  
  
'Why does it always have to be red lights? Why not light blue or even purple? I am so getting a headache here,' Marianne groaned mentally as she was carefull to stay out of reach of the 'normal' humans. Being invisible didn't make her intangible. And if they started to bump into something that they couldn't see while two mutants outside were raising holy hell, people would get a little suspicious.  
  
It was only in the basements where things went really, really bad. Marianne didn't really know what happened, but it sounded like someone had hit the self-destruction button of the base.  
  
'Great, can things get even more cliché?' she groaned. She let her illusion fade away as the others of the team reached her. She had seen that there were in fact mutants there. They were used for horrible experiments. Marianne had taken a couple of minutes to send the data on the mutants to Xavier.  
  
"That door is locked tight. If I had to guess, I'd be guessing the mutants are kept behind that. So, what do you think? Get them out, or save ourselves?" Marianne thumbed at the door, trying to keep her act together. This was not a good time to fall to pieces and start yelling you don't wanna die. On the other side, it seemed like a damned normal response. Then she noticed Jean looking a little worried at her, that was enough for Marianne to steel herself: this was probably the only chance she had to prove herself.  
  
"I'll get the door out of the way," Jean nodded. Marianne later wished Jean hadn't got the door away, because what was behind it was worth several years of nightmares. Her first reaction was to throw up at the sight of how bad the mutants inside their condition was. She forcefully wrestled her emotions into a very dark corner of her mind and let her newly obtained medical knowledge take over.  
  
"Kurt, you port the ones who can't walk out, the rest, get the ones who can walk out of here. Jean, could you open that door?" she asked, looking at the mutants that were in the cells. They were in bad shape, emphasize bad shape. Very bad shape. She heard Kitty swallow a couple of sobs.  
  
"Okay people, get moving! We don't have a lot of time here. The base is set on selfdestruct. We're the X-men and came to help you all," Marianne heard Shadow call out as Jean opened the other door.  
  
On the other side, she found a young girl, strapped to an examining table. The child was badly hurt, and the doctors were doing something to her without sedation. 'Doctors, if those are doctors, Apocalypse is a nice old grandfather.'  
  
"Step away from the girl. This instant," she called out. They looked up and smirked. The cries of the child made her so angry. How could they do this?  
  
"Stay away freak, and you won't get hurt," one of them even dared to say.  
  
"You are mistaken, this base is about to self-destruct. And before you could hurt me, I'll make your worst nightmares come true," she had discussed the possibility with Xavier, but hadn't tried it out. The 'doctors' obviously didn't believe her.  
  
"Please forgive me professor," she silently prayed. She couldn't believe what she was about to do. It could kill these humans, but the cries of the girl cut through her mind, they made her irrational, "face your fears and survive. Cower from them and die." They looked at her in surprise, she saw their eyes roll back in their heads as they collapsed to the ground. She had never known it actually worked like that. She felt dirty using her powers like that, like those monsters. They had no chance to survive, the base would explode soon enough.  
  
"No... no... please! No more!" the girl cried out.  
  
"I'm sorry you had to go through this, but there'll be no more," Marianne walked closer towards her and could easily see that the girl was dying. If she hadn't been so lucky and have had the life she had, she would have been in the girl's place.  
  
"Fantasy! You have to come right now, the building is gonna blow!" she heard Shadow call behind her.  
  
"I'm coming Shadow, just get the last ones out of here and don't worry about me," she replied absently, not even noticing the use of her code name. This girl was dying, even though every piece of her rational mind told her to scram, well, she never was one to follow her mind over her heart. And at the moment her heart was telling her not to let the girl die alone. She hoped the others would understand, but trying to get the girl out would be futile. The girl couldn't walk because of the pain, carrying her would take too much time. Leaving her alone was not an option.  
  
"You... you should leave..." the child, she couldn't be older then eight, choughed as Marianne freed her from her restraints. Tears were pouring down her eyes.  
  
"You should be growing up like a normal girl. Neither of it is happening. I'm Marianne," she smiled at the girl through her tears as she took the frail body into her arms and hid underneath the table, perhaps it would give some protection, she wasn't sure.  
  
"I'm... I'm Jenn, Marianne... it's a nice... very nice... name," the girl coughed up blood onto Marianne's uniform, it didn't matter, the blood of the girl was all over her. She could hear the explosions begin.  
  
"I'm glad you like it, Jenn. Do you know what my mutation is? I can create illusions. What illusion do you want?" Marianne asked the girl, her voice was choked up. She could at least give the girl something to ease her suffering.  
  
"I... I wanna see... see the sea," the girl was drifting away.  
  
"Then we'll go to the sea," Marianne focused on what she remembered of the sea and allowed herself to go with the girl. They were sitting at a dock, overlooking a calm ocean with the sun setting. The girl cradled in her arms as Marianne whispered soothing words.  
  
"Thank... you..." a faint whisper, barely audible and the girl was gone. Marianne began to cry uncontrollably.  
  
~*Outside*~  
  
"Marianne!" Kitty cried out as she saw the lab explode.  
  
"No! No! This... this can't be! She's gone Scott! I can't sense her!" Jean watched in horror as she watched the lab burn down: there was no way she could have survived that. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find Marianne's mind.  
  
"No... we were supposed... supposed ta go on a roadtrip aftah graduation!" Rogue clenched her fists.  
  
Similar cries of disbelieve were heard as the group felt the loss of one of their own. Shadow didn't say a thing as they went back into the blackbird. Not believing this had happened. The mission had gone fine otherwise, but they had still lost someone, they had lost Marianne. As they entered, the mutants they had rescued could easily see that something terrible had happened. Hank worked in a daze as he, Jean and Kitty applied first aid to them.  
  
"Professor," Scott said through the radio, voice rough from emotions, "we lost Marianne, she was inside when the lab exploded."  
  
At the other side of the connection, Xavier burried his head in his hands, blaming himself for the fall of the young, cheerfull girl. It took him a while to compose himself before he could reach for the intercom.  
  
"Everyone, report to my office at once," Xavier didn't know how he managed to keep his voice level. One by one, the new mutants trudged into his office, each paled at his grave expression.  
  
"The lab has been destroyed, the mutants have been rescued. But, the price was high, too high," Xavier said solemny. Amara gasped, somehow knowing what he was going to say, not willing to believe it as the others looked at him in confusion.  
  
"The lab exploded, while Marianne was still inside. She was lost, she didn't survive," he spoke slowly. Ororo gasped too, she had staid behind in case something happened back at the mansion. Tears formed in her eyes as she heard the others start to cry.  
  
"Children, go downstairs please, I will join you shortly," she said, gathering the last strength she had in order not to burst down in sobs. The young mutants meekly followed her orders, their minds processing the news.  
  
"I should never have allowed her to go," Xavier looked up, and Ororo noticed how much he had aged in just a matter of minutes.  
  
"You could have done nothing to forsee this, Charles, please, do not blame yourself. Blame those who built those wretched places, but not yourself. We need your strength in coping with this, you blaming yourself won't help any of us. Marianne knew the risks, she knew what could happen and she accepted them. She wouldn't want you to blame yourself," Ororo placed her hand on Xavier's shoulder.  
  
"Leave me be for a while, Ororo. The children will need you, go, I'll manage," he didn't look up, didn't have the strength to.  
  
A young girl had died that day, a girl with many chances in life, a girl who had a choice, a girl who had been placed under his care. Xavier looked a the photo hanging on his wall, it was from her birthday, she had been surrounded by friends, the team and the younger ones. Xavier wondered if she had agreed to stay with them, go on that mission, if she had known it would end like this. He could only see one answer: yes, she would have. In those too few months, he had learned she was a sacrificing spirit with a good sense of humour. She had been no saint, not perfect, she had been just a girl. A girl who didn't deserve to die, just a girl who wanted to be accepted for who she was. 


	16. Coping

A/N: I'm happy Marianne was so well loved that people are not happy about her death. D-m-n-w-t! Put away those chinchilla's! On my own defense: I wrote the chapter and I was at the end like: she died? O, okay, nice to know. I am a very evil person, so I won't tell if that was the end of Marianne or not...  
  
Just a Girl – Coping  
  
It was a couple of days after that horrible mission, Devon had been devestated by the news. He had been angry with what had happened, but he hadn't blamed any of them, unlike themselves. They blamed themselves for not getting Marianne out. After two days, Devon had left with Bridget for Canada. He couldn't live somewhere where everything reminded him of Marianne.  
  
The first days had gone by as if it was a dream, or rather a nightmare. The mutants they had saved had all left in order to try and find out if others had remained out of the Genoshians's grasp. Marianne's room was left untouched. Devon didn't want to take anything with him, save for a picture of him and Marianne together.  
  
It was now that they began to realise that it was all far too real: Marianne had died, she wouldn't be coming back. She wouldn't stand in the front door and say it was all a mistake, that she was fine. That hurt, possibly even more then when they had seen the lab explode and realised Marianne hadn't made it out. The daze had passed, and now they were left to try and cope with losing their friend, little sister and confidant.  
  
Xavier had paid for a grave for Marianne, even though they didn't have a body, they still wanted somewhere to be close to her, to talk to her.  
  
Rogue stood in front of the stone, fingers sliding over the engraved words.  
  
//Marianne Jong, beloved daughter, sister, friend.\\  
  
She refused to read the date of birth or date of death, it made it all too real.  
  
//Taking a step to the world unbound Spinning my fantasies all around Freed from the gravital leash I swear the heaven's in my reach\\  
  
It was part of the lyrics from a song from Nightwish, Rogue knew the song, she had picked the lyric with the rest of the girls. It was 'Know Why The Nightingales Sing'.  
  
"Why did this happen? Shadow said ya would come out after him, that he shouldn't worry. Why didn' ya? What happened Marianne? Were ya hurt? Why didn't ya ask for help then? It hurts, ya know, ya weren't supposed ta die, hell, ya weren't even supposed to be hurt," Rogue squatted in front of the stone. It was getting dark, Rogue knew she should be going back, but she just couldn't. She had absorbed Marianne, so she should have Marianne's present, no matter how faint, in her mind. But it wasn't there, or the psyche kept to the background. Yes, she had her memories, but she would be much more content with Marianne's psyche to explain to her what had happened.  
  
"Rogue?" she heard Shadow's voice, "what're you doin' here?"  
  
She noticed how he didn't call her 'doll'. That was the name he used for Marianne, a name that irritated her to no end. It was a name for her and no other, that name had died with Marianne, in the explosion.  
  
"Ah came ta visit Marianne," she replied silently.  
  
"I know I didn't know Marianne for very long, but I do know that if you wanna visit 'r, you shouldn't be here. This is a stone, this has nothing ta do with 'r soul. If you wanna visit 'r, think back ta what ya know of 'r," Shadow squatted next to her, "I'll be leavin' fer a while, get my bearings back."  
  
"Ya're runnin'," Rogue said.  
  
"Yup, that's what I'm good at, accordin' to Marianne. I don't think she ever forgave me fer dumpin' 'r in that city. Come, I'll give ya a ride back to the institute," Shadow held out his hand, "no jokes."  
  
"You're not comin' back?" Rogue looked at him, she already knew the answer: her memories from Marianne of Shadow told her he was not one who dealt well with loss, no matter what kind of loss.  
  
"Nope, already said my goodbyes, the prof. said I'd be welcome to return any time I wanted. I'm thinkin' 'bout goin' very much way south. As in South America south," he tried to make joke about it, but both of them knew better. The USA reminded him too much of the mutant haters that had gotten Marianne killed.  
  
The ride back to the institute was quiet, unsettling. The two of them didn't like eachother, period, however, it was often said that tragedy made a group grow closer. Rogue realised that she and Shadow would never see eye to eye, on anything, if their lives depended on it. He left as soon as she stood in front of the gates, not saying a word.  
  
As she entered the mansion, she saw Logan waiting for her in the hall way.  
  
"Ah know it's passed curfew, just ground meh, 'kay?" Rogue said as he opened his mouth to speak.  
  
"Not today, kid. Go on to the kitchen," he said. The mood at the institute was all out defeated. Even the Brotherhood picked it up, and they had agreed that it would be stupid to mess with the 'X-geeks' at a time like this, under several threats of Lance, who had been the first outside of the mansion to hear what had happened, from Kitty.  
  
Rogue quietly entered the kitchen, the team that had been present at the lab, Logan and Shadow excluded, sat scattered through out the room, brooding, blaming themselves.  
  
"Rogue, where have you been?" Jean was the first to notice.  
  
Rogue surpressed the urge to ignore her, and replied: "Cemetary."  
  
A uncomfortable silence decended upon the group again as Rogue took her seat. Kitty silently witnessed what was going on. She didn't like the silence, or them all blaming herself. In her mind, she knew that none of them could have saved Marianne. She still didn't like it, however, nor did she understand it.  
  
"You know, we first met her in that ice-cream parlour," Kitty spoke up, the silence was making her go insane if something didn't happen. They hadn't directly talked about Marianne in all that time, and she wanted to talk, badly.  
  
"First day at school, first hour, she was in mah class, sat down raht next ta meh. Ah didn' lahk 'r," Rogue confessed, "Ah didn' really give 'r a chance, did Ah? Till too late."  
  
"Well, you like, have her in your head," Kitty tried to comfort Rogue, who was looking very down at that realisation..  
  
"No, her psyche didn't stay, she pulled back from meh," Rogue looked down at her hands. Silence decended upon the group.  
  
Kitty highly doubted that Marianne would appreciate them acting like this. No, come to think of it, she mused, Marianne would probably be laughing like there was no tomorrow at their stupidity, or she would feel guilty. It really depended on Marianne's mood, Kitty decided, because Marianne most definately had a mean streak. They had found that out after one particular prank from Bobby, which involved her hair turning a bright purple and Bobby's pink in return. But, ofcourse, she hadn't died her hair over, and after her revenge, Marianne had been able to laugh about it. Luckily for her, it had been that kind of dy that was washed out after three of four times in the shower. Bobby had been given a more permanent version of the dy.  
  
"I wish we knew why she didn't come out," Jean sighed, "Shadow said she had been fine when he took the last one out and she didn't call for help."  
  
"Zhat vill be zhe million dollar question," Kurt sighed.  
  
"She could have been hurt on her way out," Scott kept his eyes fixed upon the table. He was still blaming himself, like everyone. And, to be honest, Rogue seriously was getting pissed about the whole attitude. She had Marianne's memories, and she knew that she did not like someone blaming themselves over something she did.  
  
"Ah don' think Marianne would lahke this very much. We keep on forgettin' that she chose for this. No one forced 'r ta go with us. Hell, she forced us ta let 'r go with us," Rogue looked around, daring anyone to disagree.  
  
"How would you know this, Rogue? You said you don't have her psyche in your head," Jean cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"But Ah have 'r memories. An' believe me when Ah tell ya all, she would personally come ta kick each an' every one of your asses. Ah understand that we lost someone very important to all o' us. But Ah don't understand whah everyone is blaming him or herself. We didn't set the selfdestruction on, we didn't keep mutants fer testin', we all knew the risks, an' we all accepted them. As did Marianne. If anyone of us would've died, would we have wanted the rest ta blame themselves?" Rogue stopped to take a deep breath as she glared at the rest of the team. She knew she hadn't gotten through to them enough to make them stop blaming themselves, of stop her from blaming herself, but perhaps this would be a push in the right direction. 


	17. Passing time

Just a Girl – Passing time  
  
Months went by, and somehow, the population of the Institute managed to return ever so slightly to normal. Which included a prank war between Kurt and Bobby, and Scott being the common victim.  
  
The rumors about Marianne's death at school had been horrendous. From car crash to suicide. Although all of them had quickly and efficiently whiped that particular rumor out of existence. Kurt, Kitty and Rogue had been furious. The students should know that Marianne would never do that, she had loved life.  
  
Had loved life. That was it. She wasn't alive anymore, and over the months they began to realise that. It was harder then anything. For the younger mutants to not have Marianne to patch up their cuts, scrapes or twisted ankles with a smile and a joke. For the X-men for not having Marianne to joke around with, or hear her mouthing the Brotherhood off, again. For Xavier for not having Marianne around to discuss mutant rights with. For Hank for not having Marianne around in his med-lab. For Ororo for not being able to try and get her to join her in gardening and always succeeding. Even for Logan, she had been a real challenge trying to teach how to fight. Fighting just did not agree with the girl. No matter what.  
  
Forge had been given the schematics and one of the collars the Genoshians had been using and the genius was confident that he could get it to work as Marianne had thought it could work. He just needed some time to put it all together.  
  
Training had become more rigorous, and complaints weren't made. If it had happened once, losing a team member, it could happen again. Not one of them thought they handle such a thing again. It was to be avoided at all costs.  
  
Rogue was bitter at graduation. The same day Marianne had died, they had made the plan for a roadtrip for after the idiotic ceremony, well, it was idiotic in her point of view. The only good thing about it was that it meant that she had finished High School. Marianne had looked forward towards it, even though she had only been able to look forward towards it for half a day. She wouldn't go now, it wasn't any use. It had been for Marianne to find a place where she could help, Marianne was gone, Rogue told herself.  
  
Shadow dropped by occasionally, bringing news, trouble, annoying things, what ever he could. He never staid long, basically because he knew that if he staid longer then a week, the X-men would start bashing his skull. He fully well knew how annoying he could be, and how little Scott could stand his presence.  
  
His information had often proven valuable, since he just had that kind of luck of just being at the right place at the right time. Dumb luck, but, as he claimed, he was due for his bit of luck, since he had bad luck almost completely straight for four years.  
  
Time went by, slowly. But a year passed, a year since Marianne's death. Rogue was now in college, taking engenering classes, so that by the time she was through, and with some extra study, she could put together her own blackbird.  
  
The device they had taken from the lab was now in full working order. Forge even managed to make it into a pendant, it was a small metal plate with a black stone in the middle. When she pushed it once, it would turn her power off, and the stone would turn purple, again a push, and it would return to black and her power would be on again. It was actually quite nice to see.  
  
As it appeared, there were human groups forming in order to keep mutants save from their haters. One of the larger groups was also known as Mutant Underground. Their main goal was getting exposed mutants out of tight spots, giving them a new identity or even going as far as to get them out of the country to one of the mutant friendly countries. The 'Friends of Humanity' were going nuts trying to keep up with the Mutant Underground.  
  
Basically there now was a group opposing the mutant haters, and they seemed to be doing so with a passion. Xavier had caught track of several 'safehouses' with help of Cerebro, those were the places mutants staid while waiting for a new identity or a flight out of the country. Xavier was honestly surprised how they organized everything. The Mutant Underground seemed to have ties everywhere or make ties everywhere. They seemed to be recruiting kids off of the streets, providing them with education and in return, those kids would help out in getting mutants out of trouble they were in without them being able to help it.  
  
Even so, the X-men were far from useless, mutants were still in danger no matter how many humans were trying their best. Most of the humans still feared them, or ignored how they were treated. Ofcourse, neither the Brotherhood nor the Acolytes helped in that department, since none of them believed in the co-existance of humans and mutants.  
  
It surprised a fair share of the inhabitants of the mansion that both Rahne and Jubilee returned, but it was much to the delight of both Robert and Bobby.  
  
The two girls hadn't ever met Marianne, or heard of her. When they heard, however, that there had been a member of the X-men and how they had lost her, they were shocked. Sure, they knew going on missions was dangerous, but somehow, having someone die made it all far too real. And even though they had never met Marianne, Jubilee and Rahne bothe realised that Marianne had been a very good friend to everyone. 


	18. Contact

D-m-n-w-t: first off, my apologies to Jasper, if I offended him in any way, but I have circumstances: it was the hour before a chemistry test and I was VERY nervous. For Jaeger, will Marianne come back? I don't think I'm gonna tell you, and if I get eaten by those chinchilla's, you'll never know. And for D-m-n-w-t, I sincerely sympathise with you in your struggles with your X-people, luckily you still have Celeste.  
  
Just a Girl – Contact  
  
~*Somewhere in the outskirts of Boston*~  
  
"So, what do you think, Michael?" a blond, young woman asked the man sitting next to her. He was reading through the e-mail she had written.  
  
"The e-mail is great, Anne, the plan, I'm not too happy about," the man called Michael turned to face her.  
  
"They want this, we can't tell them they can't do this. At least this way we'll know what's happening, now, I have to get to university and I'm sure you have something to do for Underground," Anne gave the man a peck on his cheek before she shot away, tying her shoulder length hair in a messy ponytail on the way out.  
  
"She's gonna be the death of me one of these days," Michael grumbled, but he had a grin on his face.  
  
~*At the Institute*~  
  
//Professor Xavier,  
  
I trust this e-mail will find its way towards you.  
  
My name is Anne Doe, I live with three other students and my boyfriend in Boston. My boyfriend, the three others and I have the habbit of picking up strays. Ofcourse, you must be wondering why I am telling you this.  
  
The strays I am refering to are not lost pets, they are teenagers, well, and an eight year old. As we all are university students, my boyfriend excepted, it is getting pretty hard to make ends meet with four kids depending on us and us having to buy new furniture every month. These kids I am talking about are mutants, and they have very, very little control.  
  
Now we're getting to the point. Even though I love every single one of them as if they are my own family, I know that we are not capable of caring correctly for them. We cannot teach them control, and at this point in time, making sure that there is enough money for food and clothes is hard enough, if nearly impossible. We are not asking for money or anything. The children have all expressed a desire to go to your institute and we, the so- called adults, have decided to at least try to get in touch with you.  
  
We only wish to ensure that these children get the best care they can recieve and deserve. We are in no such capability to provide them with this. We would appreciate it very much if you would consider this.  
  
My excuse for not giving any exact information except my name, but this is only our way of try and keep a bit of our safety.  
  
Anne Doe.\\  
  
Xavier looked at the e-mail he had just recieved. She sounded sincere in her words, but being cautious was important. He didn't want to send anyone into a trap. This Anne seemed like a good person, however, and Xavier wondered if she had any ties to the Mutant Underground. After several minutes of considering his options, he decided to reply to her e-mail.  
  
//Miss Doe,  
  
Your e-mail has reached me, and I must say it is heart warming to see that youngsters such as yourself are not ignorant towards the suffering of those who are less fortunate.  
  
I understand it must be strenuous for you and your friends to provide for these children as you yourselves can't work full-time.  
  
I have, however, some questions on which I would like answers before we delve into the possibility of the children moving into the institute. The first of which is how you knew how to contact me for this. The second: how did these children come into your care? And the last is what kind of power these children possess.  
  
I am awaiting your response,  
  
Charles Xavier.\\  
  
~*That evening in Boston*~  
  
"He replied! Joey! Tim! Sander! He replied!" Anne's voice cheered throughout the house.  
  
"Who replied?" a young girl, 8 years old asked.  
  
"That Professor Xavier, the one we were talking about the other day. I'll send a reply to him immediately. Just imagine it, Samantha, perhaps, soon, you'll live in a very big house and good food every day. Not this junk food," Anne pulled the 8 year old into a hug, which was very uncomfortable for the girl.  
  
"I happen ta like junk food," a boy, about 13 years, stated defiantly.  
  
"Jonathan, don't pull this right now. I've had a very busy day, I can go without you going against me," Anne pointed her finger at him, willing him to say another word, "now, I'll give him my reply. Shoo, shoo! Out everyone."  
  
They all knew very much better then not to listen to Anne when she was in this kind of mood.  
  
//Professor Xavier,  
  
I cannot express my gratitude that you are willing to consider this.  
  
It is fair enough for you to ask me these questions, and I will try my best to answer them.  
  
How did I know how to contact you for this? That one was easy, you are, after all, an authority on mutant rights and you are well known in the circles my boyfriend works.  
  
How the children came into my and my friends's care? We found them on the streets, I am often blamed by the others that my heart is too soft. I could not ask for a better compliment. Only later, we found out about their abilities.  
  
Their powers, however, are harder to describe.  
  
I will start with the youngest, Samantha, she only eight. She can freeze items in place, for an example, last week, when she dropped a glass of milk, she froze it so it wouldn't hit the floor. It was much more a reflex then on her own will. The best way to describe it would be that it is as if she freezes an object in time.  
  
Next up would be Jonathan, thirteen years of age. He preferes it if we call him Flash, his power is to produce bright flashes of light, hence the name. It is not as harmless as it may sound. I myself have been blinded by him for several days. I do not blame him, he has no control over it, after all.  
  
Ezra is the next one. She doesn't speak, so we can only guess her age, we guess about fifteen. We suspect her being mute is due to a childhood trauma. She controls plantlife, my boyfriend found out, by her power, that plants are not as harmless as they seem. She was frightened, and as a respons, she urged the plants to protect her on a subconcious level.  
  
The oldest is Connor. He's an empath with the capability to influence one's mood. He is seventeen years of age and has most control of all of the children.  
  
I hope these are acceptable answers.  
  
Anne Doe.\\  
  
After several e-mails back and forth, they came to the agreement that Michael and Joey would meet Ororo and Jean coming Saturday in a small deli. Anne would not be able to meet them, as she had to work at a bookstore and Tim and Sander would stay and keep an eye on the kids.  
  
Tim and Sander were no mutants, but Michael, Joey and Anne were. Still, they were the best of friends and they all knew that they could count on eachother no matter what. 


	19. Give a bit of trust

Agent-G: just relax, let it go, Marianne's gone, or is she? I know, I'm evil! I won't tell, but I promise, I've got a plot again.  
  
Just a Girl – Give a bit of trust  
  
"Joey, relax," Michael looked at his side at the younger man. It was obvious he was nervous, why would you develop a tick of constantly looking over your shoulder if you weren't nervous.  
  
"Look, it may be normal for you, but I'm just a student," Joey looked over his shoulder again, "and they're in."  
  
He saw a tall, white haired woman walking in, followed by a redhead. Those would be the ones Xavier had sent them. Joey was hoping it would work out, since he had caught Anne several times pretending to have eaten, while she hadn't, so that the kids would have some more food.  
  
"Hello, you must be Ororo Munroe and Jean Grey. My name is Michael Johnson and this is Joey Cook," Michael rose out of his chair and motioned the women to take their seat across from him at the table.  
  
"A pleasure to meet you," Ororo replied with her usual dignity, Jean directed a smile at the two men. Xavier had told them why they were to meet them, and to be honest, Jean had been impressed.  
  
"Can we get you anything to eat or drink? The drive here must have been long," Joey offered.  
  
"No thanks, we were actually thinking we would better get to your house as soon as possible," Jean declined. She saw Michael narrow his eyes, her eagerness to see the children had aroused his suspicion.  
  
"That can wait, child, I'll have tea, please," Ororo intervened, sitting down at the table.  
  
"I'll have a coke, do you want anything, miss?" Joey grinned and ordered three cokes and a cup of tea.  
  
"The woman who contacted Professor Xavier, Anne, will we meet her too?" Ororo asked carefully, while sipping her tea.  
  
"Sure, she's just working now," Joey nodded.  
  
"Remind me, Joey, you're not coming along for this again," Michael groaned, Joey would give everything away and what would happen if those two weren't who they pretended to be? 'Musn't. Kick. His. Ass.' Michael told himself, 'Anne won't be happy if I do.'  
  
"I assure you, Michael, we are who we say we are. Just give us a little trust," Jean spoke up, "you were broadcasting."  
  
"Fine, fine, if only that it won't make Anne angry with me," Michael sighed, "otherwise, I'm into the doghouse."  
  
"You're the boyfriend?" Jean asked him with a slight smirk on her face.  
  
"Yup, he is, and boy, is he wipped!" Joey grinned, "Anne's our resident doc an' do-gooder. Michael here is our resident grouch and he was hell to be around before Anne was living with us."  
  
"And Joey is the resident parrot and a plain pain in the ass," Michael gave him a look that told him clearly that if he didn't shut up this instant, he would face a very painfull death, and knowing Michael, that just might be true.  
  
"And this pain in the ass is shutting up," Joey decided to play it wise, for a change.  
  
"Tell us a little about yourselves, please," Ororo spoke up, sipping from her tea.  
  
So Michael told them about with who he lived, though he left large parts of Anne out of the story. If they knew that, she would become vulnerable to them and it would be easy for her to get hurt. If there would be anything for to avoid that, he would do it.  
  
He still remembered the vulnerable, pale girl that had been dropped off at his and Joey's doorstep by the Mutant Underground. They had nothing on her past, she claimed not to remember a thing from before waking from a coma. No one told them either. She had soon gotten the place back into shape before she got into university. The only girl living with two guys, you would have htought it would be difficult for her. After four months, which included Anne driving Michael nuts by going out with boy after boy, he had convinced himself it had just been brotherly concern, Anne and him got together, thanks to a Joey who was tired of them dancing around eachother.  
  
And then, Anne got into college, to become a doctor. That wasn't really necesary, though. Of all that she had told them about her recovery after the coma. She had literally devoured every medical text she could get her hands on, and Michael swore that she knew them inside out. Add the instinctual knowledge she seemed to have, all she really needed was the certificate. Michael had informed his contacts about this and they were working on getting that for her, she had already told them she would become a doctor for the Underground.  
  
She was a strange girl, appreciated classic music as much as Metallica or Iron Maiden, when she was mad at you, you'd better head for the hills, but she would never intentionally hurt someone. Well, not badly, at least.  
  
Then there were the kids she had taken in, she kept them all in line, while juggling three jobs and university. No knew how she did it, though Joey had his money placed that one of her powers was an abundance of energy.  
  
Sure, she wasn't perfect, with a temper that sent grown men running and her ability to wreak havoc to anything technical. They had learned pretty soon not to get between her and white chocolat when she was tired or green tea in the morning. Not if you valued your life, that is, or the place where your limbs were normally placed.  
  
"I believe it would be time to go home, Anne will get off duty in about," Michael glanced at his watch, "half an hour. You two can spent the night, if you don't mind sharing a room with Sam and Ezra."  
  
"No, we won't mind," Ororo smiled as she straightened.  
  
"Do you have your own transportation, or do you want to catch a ride with us?" Michael looked at the two women. They quickly decided it would be best to ride with the men, as they had come by means of public transportation and the Blackbird.  
  
~*At Anne's job*~  
  
"You can go home, hon, or others those boys o' yours will tear down the house in search o' food," an old, grey haired woman smiled at Anne from behind the counter, "any customers that come now, I can handle on myself, dear."  
  
"You're sure, Mrs. Gravin?" Anne turned towards the older woman.  
  
"Sure dear, you look like you could use a good rest. How are the children doing?" the woman confirmed.  
  
"Fine, okay, I'll be back on Monday, Mrs Gravin," Anne pulled her coat from the wall and left with a warm smile directed at the old woman. Outside, she put on her helmet as she clomb onto her motorcycle. It was an old bike, she didn't know where the guys had found it for her birthday, or, the day they had elected to be her birtday, since she didn't remember. They had just barged into her room one day and started singing 'happy birtday'. Not a good way to wake up, as none of them were quite able to sing.  
  
She could go back home directly, but that meant facing the women who would take the kids away. Well, not actually taking, the kids needed this and it had been her idea. She just needed to clear her head first, before she would go back, or she could do something very, very stupid, like lose control.  
  
She revved the engine, a smile found its way onto her face as she took off, the cold, wintery air cut through her coat and she relished in the feeling. On her bike, she felt so alive, not as if a part of her life was missing, a rather large part. Anne often wondered if there were people out there looking for her, or for whom she had been. However, she wanted a good life, and she was not certain if she had had a good life before the coma. She did not want to take the risk of finding out that she had been a terrible person, or that she had had a terrible life, not now her life was so good.  
  
Anne made up a quick account for her life, not a very long one that she could remember: three months coma, then five recovering from what had happened to her body, she had the scars to prove that it had all been very real, she moved in with Joey and Michael after that. She had spent four months getting a taste of life as a normal, single girl. Then, Joey had set her up with Michael, and they turned into a couple. And here she was, a little over 20 months after waking up from her coma, and she had a very good life.  
  
After about half an hour, it was the time she usually got off from work, she turned her bike around and headed home. Time to face the music, and see if Michael hadn't behaved too badly towards them. She knew him, and he was always suspicious of strangers and a bit impatient, well, make that a lot impatient.  
  
As she parked her bike outside, she noticed that the old, banged up jeep was already there, which meant that Michael and Joey were already at home. She fumbled a bit with her keys in order to find the one that opened the front door. She cast a casual glance at the house: it really needed a lick of paint, or rather: a gallon of paint, wood and a lot of work. She made a mental note to get the boys to fix it up. There was no way she would try and do it, chances were that she would end up wearing the paint in stead of the house.  
  
"Hey guys, I'm home!" she called out while closing the door again. She heard several greetings coming from the livingroom and she made her way towards it. Entering, she skimmed the room: a redhead and a woman with white hair. She also noticed the women's eyes widen as they saw her, and somehow, Anne doubted that it was because of her stunning good looks, because they were presently unaccounted for and missing in action. Hell, they probably never made it into action. 


	20. Who I am

Just a Girl – Who I am  
  
"What? Is there something on my face?" Anne remained positioned in the doorway as she became uncomfortable at the shocked looks from the other two women.  
  
Jean stared in shock at the young woman in the door way: was fate playing a cruel joke on her and Ororo? This girl looked just like Marianne! Just a little older and her hair was a bit shorter.  
  
"Marianne?" Ororo rose to her feet and moved towards the young woman.  
  
"What did you call me?" Anne's eyes narrowed, as she allowed the white haired woman to approach her.  
  
"Marianne, you're Marianne! My god! You're alive!" Jean shook herself awake and hugged Anne tightly.  
  
"Miss! Miss! Air supply is a big issue for me!" Anne objected against the hug.  
  
"You don't remember, you honestly don't remember," Jean let go and clasped her hand over her mouth.  
  
Michael rose to his feet: "Tim, Sander, take the kids out. The rest, sit down."  
  
"Yes sir!" Tim, a punker with a neon orange mohawk mock saluted before taking the kids out with Sander. The rest quickly sat down.  
  
"Now, why did you call Anne Marianne and what happened to Marianne that made you think she died?" Michael remained standing, while fixing his eyes on Jean and Ororo.  
  
"Two years ago, a girl came to live with us, her name was Marianne Jong. She had the power to create tangible or untangible illusions, without a lot of control. She staid with us for several months. We went on a mission, early January, she came along because she had medical training. It was a base where mutants were kept for experimenting, it exploded while she was inside, we thought she had died," Ororo quietly explained.  
  
"Anne, tell them your story, baby," Michael squatted in front of her and squeezed her hand.  
  
"Mutant Underground found me somewhere, I had nearly died, I was in a coma for three months. I couldn't remember anything, well, something that sounded like 'Anne', so we made that my name," Anne spoke up softly, keeping her eyes on her hands.  
  
Jean gasped: how could she have made such a mistake, Marianne could really have died because she saw her comatose unresponsiveness as death!  
  
"You are saying you have no memories from before you woke up?" Ororo looked a the young woman, feeling a confusing mix between relief and sadness.  
  
"I... I get flashes sometimes, but they're always so fast that I can't make heads or tales out of it, and nightmares, but I always forget them too," Anne looked up, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."  
  
"Child, you are not to be sorry, we are happy that you are alive, how or why is not important. You are, that is what matters," Ororo spoke soothingly.  
  
"This has been a bit much for her," Michael said when he realised Anne had withdrawn into herself, "if you would all excuse us, I'll get her to bed." He got up with her in his arms and carried her upstairs. Leaving a very confused Joey behind with Ororo and Jean.  
  
"So our Anne was a member of the X-Men?! I can't believe it!" Joey blinked a couple of times.  
  
"I have to call the professor, tell him the news! Everyone at home will be so happy," Jean made a move for her cellphone, but Ororo stopped her.  
  
"No, we can do that tomorrow, we have to know if she wishes to know her former life. As I see it, she has a good life here, perhaps she would rather not know," Ororo reasoned.  
  
~*Upstairs*~  
  
"I can't believe it," Anne whispered as she sat down onto her bed, "I called for the kids, and they are my lost past!"  
  
"I know, I know, but this can be a good thing. It just goes to show that you have nothing to worry about: you were a very good person back then, as you are now," Michael sat down next to her.  
  
"But... but X-men fight! I do not fight! You fight but I, most certainly, DO NOT fight!" Anne's head snapped up to face him.  
  
"I know that, and I have no doubt they know that too, now, go to sleep. You've been running yourself ragged for the last couple of months," Michael let a gentle smile flash over his face.  
  
"Michael, don't let them leave without me, I wanna know who I am, or who I was," Anne whispered as she curled herself up in the bed.  
  
"I won't, baby, I won't," Michael softly whispered as he left the room. Outside, he pulled his frown back in place. He was quite temperemental, and not to let his powers just about kill anyone he was angry with, was with keeping his temper under constant check.  
  
"Anne, or Marianne, asked you to not leave without her, and I will be coming with her," Michael stated as he came back into the room.  
  
"I'm just gonna go to Max's now, see if I can charm some food outta 'r kitchen," Joey decided it would be best to leave, if they wanted to get any decent food this evening. The only one in the house who could cook up anything edible was Anne, or was he supposed to call her Marianne now? Man, things always got complicated. It never could be easy, could it?  
  
He wondered if, when Anne regained her memory again, she would leave them. Anne coming to live with them had been a blessing. A man could only handle so much take-out from one tacky place or another, and he was about to try and take up cooking lessons himself when Anne was sent to them. Not only her cooking abilities were impressive, but also her getting them to actually clean up and get Michael out of his constant grouchiness, even if it involved him following Anne around when she went on dates. That had been the most annoying four months of his life. 


	21. Reunited

Agent-G: I'm also looking forward towards the meeting between Shadow and Michael. Who's your money on?  
  
Just a Girl – Reunited  
  
Anne fidgeted in the Blackbird, as did the kids, but she for an entirely different reason: she was going to see old friends who she didn't even remember. It would make anyone nervous.  
  
Jean had looked at the young woman and smiled reasurringly, she had already called ahead and explained the situation to Xavier, so not everyone would go into instant shock upon seeing Anne. Xavier had also assured her that he was convinced he could devise a therapy that could help Anne recover her memories of the life she had had as Marianne  
  
At the Institute, the occupants were in a frenzy, even Rogue was effected by the news that Marianne had survived, even though she had no memories of her life prior to the accident. They had opted to not call Devon just yet, as his response could be a bit too much for the young woman. Shadow was somewhere in Europe at the moment, so he wouldn't mess things up.  
  
Kitty and Amara were cleaning Marianne's room, whereas Scott and Kurt were busy preparing a room for the two new boys and Jubilee and Rahne were busy with preparing a room for the new girls. Logan had chosen to escape, he would return when everything had calmed down a bit. The rest was busy preparing a huge meal. It wasn't every day a friend returned from the dead.  
  
"I, like, totally can't believe it! She's back!" Kitty cheered as she looked around the room.  
  
"Yes, she is, but remember, the professor told us not to pressure her on anything, he wants to know the cause of her amnesia first," Amara straigthened herself.  
  
"What's, like, the big deal with that? She like, hit her head and lost her memory," Kitty shrugged, not quite understanding why the cause of Marianne's amnesia was so important.  
  
"Different cases of amnesia often need different approaches. Now, I am sure you both know you are to call her Anne untill she indicates otherwise?" suddenly Hank's voice rumbled through the room.  
  
"It sucks that she doesn't remembah us," a Southern drawl added.  
  
"Well, at least she, like, survived," Kitty peered over Hank's shoulder to see Rogue standing behind him.  
  
"Yeah, ya're raht, Ah guess. But, the professah told meh ta come an' get ya all 'cause the plane is landin'," Rogue quickly jumped aside as Kitty stormed out with a shriek, followed closely by Amara, "Ah swear, that gal ain't all theah."  
  
Hank decided not to respond to this, but he couldn't hide the grin on his face. He did wonder, however, how she could have survived the explosion. It was nearly impossible that she managed this, he had seen the explosion. He too made his way towards where the Blackbird would land.  
  
~*On the Blackbird*~  
  
"So, that's it. How did you enjoy the flight?" Jean turned towards Samantha. The young girl had looked up towards the redhead as soon as she found out what Jean's power was.  
  
"Cool!" she exclaimed, Jonathan merely snorted, thinking that it wasn't cool to reply, Ezra didn't look up, but Connor spoke for her. Something he had always done, since he could easily read her emotions.  
  
"It was amazing, Ezra thinks so too," Connor nodded.  
  
"How are you feeling, Anne?" Jean looked at the young woman.  
  
"Could you fly me back?" she joked, "I don't think I've never been as nervous in my life as now, but then again, I don't have a lot of reference points."  
  
Jean could easily see she was very nervous, her face was pale, she was picking at her sweater while her teeth seemed to be permanently burried in her lower lip. Michael has seated himself besides her and was trying to get her to relax, which wasn't working very well.  
  
The exit of the Blackbird was opened and the children rushed out, followed by Ororo. She immediately noticed the welcoming committee and nodded towards them. Ororo was quickly followed by Anne, Michael and Jean. As soon as Anne set foor outside, she was ambushed by Amara and Kitty and the other people gathered around her, wanting to make sure she was really there.  
  
"I take it Anne was very loved as Marianne," Michael observed.  
  
"She was our little sister," Jean nodded.  
  
Anne, meanwhile, didn't know what hit her. There were so many faces around her and they were all familiar, though she couldn't exactly pinpoint names, she knew they were all important to her, but she also felt something was missing, like there should be more faces, even though she couldn't figure out how or why.  
  
"Anne, if you are not too tired from your flight here, I would appreciate it if you would join me in my office," Xavier spoke up, a warm smile on his face.  
  
"I'm not tired," Anne took it as an opportunity to get out of the crowd. She knew his name was Xavier, she had seen his face on television and Jean had told her about all the adults and the X-men, new and older. Xavier turned his wheelchair around and Anne quickly followed him, leaving Michael to deal with the lot of them.  
  
"As you know, I think it will be very possible for you to regain you memory, I also think that I could help speed it up. It would, however, mean, that I would have to enter your head," Xavier spoke as soon as they were in his office.  
  
"Really? O, I don't mind you in my head, professor. Something tells me I can trust you, and for as far as I know, I don't have any deep and dark secrets stashed in my head. How long will this take?" Anne looked at him, eager to regain her former memories. The warm welcome had convinced her that her life hadn't been bad.  
  
"I don't know how long, that will depend on how well locked off you memories are and I am glad you believe you can trust me," he smiled warmly at her, "now, sit down and let's begin, shall we?"  
  
Anne sat down in a chair as the professor moved besides her and helt his hand up next to her face. He frowned slightly as he entered Anne's mind.  
  
~*Inside Anne's mind*~  
  
"Anne, can you hear me?" the professor asked as he stood in the midst of what appeared to be a house. It figured, he thought, Marianne had always felt that a home was important, and this was, undoubtedly, also Anne's perception.  
  
"Yes, I'm here. This is some weird view of my mind, professor. Kinda funny too," he heard Anne's voice behind him. Suddenly, she stood next to him.  
  
"I figure the memories are either up in the attic or in the basement. That is where you store things you dn't wanna throw away but don't have any room for, right?" Anne grinned, "I'll have to do some remodeling, make some room for my new old memories. Boy, that sounded just weird."  
  
The made their way up to the attic first. The lock on the door was quite strong, but not unbreakable, as Anne proved when she got frustrated and smashed it in, much against Xavier's advice.  
  
"I have a brother? Yes, I do. O, poor Devon, he musn't have taken the news well, did he?" a few tears found their way over Anne's cheeks.  
  
Xavier thought as he saw Anne look through her old memories. Re-opening the forgotten memories had been relatively easy, perhaps because of Anne's stubborn nature, but Xavier also thought that her having no incentive on trying to regain her memories in Boston, nothing familiar, had played a big part in her not regaining them, but also her doubts if her former life had been good were bound to have kept her, subconciously, from regaining them.  
  
"Eew! Spider!" Anne/Marianne suddenly shrieked, "they even have those blasted creatures here!" she continued with a whine. Xavier was hardly able to surpress a chuckle.  
  
"Ow, go ahead, professor, laugh. Marianne's afraid of spiders, who would have thought?" Anne/Marianne turned around to mock-glare at Xavier, "it's not all here. All the good memories are, but the sad ones must be down in the basement."  
  
"Do you want those too? We could stop for the day. You must be getting tired," Xavier offered.  
  
"Professor, you should know that I don't quit half way through. I need to have those memories too. I have to know what happened on that mission. I need to know. The good can't go without the bad, I don't know if I would have the guts to continue later, when everything has settled down," Anne/Marianne pleaded. Xavier could do nothing else then agree and they went downstair. Finding the way towards the basment, however, was a lot harder then towards the attick.  
  
"Professor, this is my mind, right?" Anne/Marianne asked exasperated after a while.  
  
"Yes, why?" Xavier nodded, not knowing what Anne/Marianne had in mind.  
  
"So I can do anything I want, right? I mean, the mind has no boundaries, right?" without awaiting Xavier's reply, she let a wall explode in front of them, "that's gonna gave a major headache," Anne/Marianne winced.  
  
"Anne, that was very dangerous of you to do, you could have destroyed your mind!" Xavier berated her.  
  
"Oops, my bad. I'm sorry, professor, but I'm on a bit of an adrenaline kinda rush right know, and the basement should be right down there," she said while pointing at the old stairs that had appeared behind the wall. As the decended down the stairs, Xavier noted that these memories were actually filed away in boxes, and that they were very dusty. Ane/Marianne shrieked several times, seeing spiders crawl against the wall.  
  
"I am seriously going to have to call an exterminator. This is so me, my mind-house is plagued by spiders! I HATE spiders! They just make me... eeew," Anne/Marianne muttered, while looking through all the files. Xavier noticed that he saw emotions varying from pure outrage down to immense sadness on her face.  
  
"I know why I staid behind," Marianne finally broke the silence, her voice barely more then a broken whisper, "there was a little girl, hardly older then Sam. They were operating her without giving her something to knock her out. She was dying, I couldn't get her out and I couldn't let her die alone. I staid behind with her, I hid underneath the table. O god, I killed those doctors, professor, I killed people with my power!"  
  
She crumbled to the ground, Xavier moved to comfort her.  
  
"Don't touch me! I'm a murderer! I killed them!" she cried out, flinching away from him.  
  
"Marianne. You are not a murderer, I am sure you had no other choice at the moment, those people were murderers, cold blooded murderers. They would continue to kill and hurt mutants all their lives. I am not saying killing is okay, but in this case, I don't think there could have been another way," Xavier said sternly.  
  
"You... you think so?" she looked up at him, the look in his eyes reminded him of a child needing comfort.  
  
"Yes, I think so, now, come, Marianne, let's go and tell the others, they will be delighted," Xavier helped her get up.  
  
~*In the dininghall*~  
  
Michael had listened to a lot of stories about Marianne, but to be honest, he didn't care. He was anxious to know how things had gone. Jean had explained to them what the professor would attempt and though Michael was happy for Marianne, he also was slightly afraid that she would leave him. Michael also knew that he had to have a long 'talk' with this Shadow for kidnapping Marianne.  
  
Suddenly the doors opened and Marianne walked in, followed by Xavier in his wheelchair.  
  
"I am Marianne, but you can all call me Anne for short," she stated with a huge grin on her face. 


	22. Enter Shadow

Agent-G: Michael is a mutant, I've mentioned it in the chapter 'Contact', but I haven't told what his power is. If Marianne will stay? Just wait an' see. And if you want to see Shadow use his power, and Michael, just read the next chapter.  
  
Just a Girl – Enter Shadow  
  
"Are you certain you want me to call?" Xavier asked Marianne.  
  
"Yes professor, I don't think they would take it well if they would hear me. I know them," Marianne nodded, it was true, if Devon would hear her voice, he would think it was a nightmare or something.  
  
The night had been preety rough for Marianne, she had been constantly plagued by nightmares from the explosion and the young girl dying in her arms. The first time, she had woken up screaming and crying. After that, Michael had made himself comfortable on the floor of her room and refused to leave. Kitty thought it was 'sweet'. They didn't realise that, back before her memories, Michael's presence had kept her from freaking out after a nightmare.  
  
"As you wish," Xavier nodded and dialed Devon's number, he had kept contact with the young man.  
  
"Hi, Bridget speaking," he heared the overly cheerful voice of Devon's fiancée.  
  
"Good day, Bridget, could I speak with Devon please?" Xavier replied and winced slightly as she called loudly for Devon at the other side.  
  
"Yeah professor, somethin' I can help you with?" Devon came to the phone minutes later.  
  
"Devon, do you have a chair present?" Xavier asked.  
  
"Yeah, why?"  
  
"Sit down in it," he told him.  
  
"Sittin', now, what's this all about?" he was losing his patience. Only the respect he had for Xavier kept him on the phone.  
  
"We found out Marianne is alive," Xavier stated, thinking it would be better not to draw it out.  
  
"Is this somekind of sick joke?!" Devon hissed, venom dripping off of his voice.  
  
"No, it is not. She survived the explosion somehow. She's here now, do you want to talk to her?"  
  
"Shit, you're not joking! O god, ofcourse I wanna talk to her!" his voice was choked up.  
  
Xavier motioned for Marianne to take the phone.  
  
"Devon?" she whispered, almost afraid to hear him respond.  
  
"Marianne! What happened? How are you? Where were you?" he began to shoot questions at her.  
  
"Wow, calm down Devon. I think it would be better if you'd just come here. I'll tell you everything once you're here. Oh, and I have a boyfriend, bye Devon," she quickly handed the phone back to Xavier and dashed out of the office. She couldn't believe she had just done that: not even a minute of talking to him, and she was already back to teasing her big brother, after he thought for two years that she was dead! He must think she was out of her mind.  
  
Devon, however, thought otherwise: "Okay, I believe you. I'll try to get the first plane back and I need to see that boyfriend of her's. Please tell me it's not Shadow."  
  
Devon didn't like Shadow, everyone knew that. The only reason he allowed him to stay around Marianne without wringing him out was because he had been the one who had enabled him in finding her.  
  
"I'll send Ororo and Logan with the Blackbird, and no, the boyfriend is not Shadow," Xavier was unable to surpress a chuckle.  
  
After much the same phonecall with Shadow, except with the part of Marianne talking to him, as she had gone to give Michael and the kids the grand tour.  
  
~*In the gardens*~  
  
"Kitty! Amara! If you guys wanna join us, come out, this is becoming very annoying!" Marianne called out. The two girls had been popping up everywhere she took the kids, as much as she loved her two friends, the 'casual' spying was annoying as hell and they were very bad at it.  
  
"How did you, like, know?" Kitty whined.  
  
"Even a blind bat could pick you two up," Jonathan snorted, being his charming adolescent self, recieving a scowl from Amara.  
  
"What you, like, got in that pouch, Ezra?" Kitty asked the silent girl, she got no response.  
  
"We went to Miss Ororo's greenery and she gave her a small pouch of seeds, so she'll always have something to work with," Connor told them, he was her voice, even though it took some getting used to for the X-men.  
  
~Marianne, your brother and Shadow are arriving, perhaps you would like to meet them in the launch bay?~  
  
"Devon's here! And Shadow!" Marianne informed them, before rushing towards the landing bay, followed on foot by Michael, who was looking forward to getting that 'Shadow' person in the danger room, showing him just what he thought of people kidnapping Anne, Marianne, he corrected himself. Again, he wondered if Marianne would return with him to Boston and stay. He honestly couldn't blame her if he didn't. What did he have to offer, anyway? A crappy house, always busy for the Underground and not nearly a quartre of the resources they had here.  
  
"Devon!" Marianne cheered and flung herself around her older brother's neck. He was taller then her, but then again, that didn't take much. He had short, brown hair. Michael made a mental note to stay on the guy's good side, he looked as if he could do some serious damage if he got mad.  
  
"It's really you, you can't imagine how happy I am," Devon whispered, hugging her tightly, "Bridget wanted to come too, but she had to watch the shop."  
  
"I understand. O god, I can't imagine how hard it must have been on you, I want you to meet my boyfriend Michael," she tugged him towards Michael, who was looking warily at Shadow, who was in turn glaring at him.  
  
After the exchange of introductions and a bit of talking, Michael turned to face Shadow.  
  
"I was wondering if you were feeling like trying out that Danger Room against me," he said in a low tone of voice. Marianne snapped her head to look at him and groaned: someone had obviously told him about the kidnapping. Michael had this whole policy, when people he cared for were involved and put in danger, of hurt first, ask later.  
  
"Sure," Shadow smirked. 


	23. Danger Room wrecking

Agent-g: considering Shadow is annoying me too, I think the outcome of this will be pretty clear, ne?  
  
Just a Girl – Danger Room wrecking  
  
"Allright, who told Michael about Shadow kidnapping me?" Marianne turned around, hand placed on her hip, a glare directed at anyone who could have told Michael this.  
  
"We couldn't tell him, we didn't know so don't look at us!" Connor said, while scooting away from Marianne with the other kids. When she was looking like this, she scared everyone and you completely forgot about the Marianne that baked when she was upset, patched you up without a complaint and instead of that, there was a Marianne very capable of doing bodily harm.  
  
"I did," Scott finally spoke up.  
  
"You! Argh! I could have... I should have known!" she looked as if she was about to lunge at the man in front of her and make sure not one of his limbs staid in place. Devon stepped besides her to restrain her, if that was what she was going to do.  
  
"Like, why are you so upset? It's not that they would, like, kill eachother, right?" Kitty tried to intervene.  
  
"No, just seriously maim eachother. Michael's nickname is Gun, and you, Scott, are going on a sparring match against him when I have patched him up," the tone in her voice told Scott that he would feel the effects of that particular match for days.  
  
~*In the Danger Room*~  
  
"So, you think you can date Marianne?" Shadow smirked at the man in front of him.  
  
"Correction, I AM dating her. And you are going to get your butt kicked," Michael grinned maliciously at the man in opposite to him, Shadow was younger then him.  
  
"You don't have my seal of approval yet," Shadow retorted as he focused on the shadows in the room in order to prepare his attack.  
  
"All talk, no action. Do you want to know my power? Because you're coming in close range of it," Michael flicked his hand and threw a small marble like object into the Danger Room, Shadow was about to make a remark, when he suddenly felt it whiz passed his ears, "they call me Gun. I can use any object as a bullet and control it with my mind. Your power is shadow manipulation. Let's see how well you'll hold up against this."  
  
~*With the others*~  
  
"Zhat must have hurt," Kurt winced as he witnessed Michael being slammed into a wall.  
  
"Not enough. Michael was one of the first young recruits of Mutant Underground, he has been training almost non-stop for seven years, they're planning on letting him set up an Underground safehouse," Marianne replied, not taking her eyes remaining off of the fight. Almost everyone had left for lunch, save for Marianne, Kurt, Logan and Kitty.  
  
And indeed, Michael got up again, stretched his neck before letting a couple of the marbles shoot towards Shadow, they cut straight through his outfit, Kitty winced as she saw that they drew blood. While Shadow was distracted, Michael made his move and repaid Shadow for slamming him into the wall.  
  
"He's got some moves," Logan observed.  
  
"Yeah, like, I would totally not like to go against him," Kitty agreed with Logan.  
  
"That's gonna need stitching," was all Marianne said as she saw that Shadow made a blade out of the shadows and sliced Michael with it.  
  
"Zhe doctor has spoken!" Kurt grinned, "Zo, vhat are you gonna do now? Go wizh Michael or stay?"  
  
"Kurt, don't be, like, rediculous, ofcourse she's gonna stay!" Kitty said before Marianne could reply.  
  
"Half pint, I think that that's Marianne's call," Logan half-growled as he saw a piece of expensive equipment being demolished by both Shadow and Michael.  
  
"Well, I have to finish my education, get my doctor's degree, and that's happening at Boston. I don't think I would be staying here anyway," she held up her hand as Kitty was about to argue, "I have a life there now, Kitty, and here, I don't think I would ever be allowed on a mission again. Not after what happened the first and last time. You have a very good doctor here. Michael's my boyfriend, I love him with all my heart and when he sets up the safehouse, he's going to need me as a doctor and an ally. A lot of mutants they bring in are hurting, physically and mentally. I'll be needed, he'll need someone who he can trust blindly. And I need to be needed. It may sound selfish, but if I'm not needed, I can't stay."  
  
"But... but Marianne! You can't leave right away!" Kitty whined.  
  
"Ofcourse I'm not leaving right away, I'll be staying here for the week. I can miss one week at University. But after that, I'm going. But it's not like I'll fall off of the radar, I'm in Boston, you know where I live, you have my e-mail. You can reach me easily, and should you guys ever need help from the Underground, all you have to do is get word to me. Besides, I can't leave untill both Michael and Shadow are sufficiently patched up," she cringed as she saw that both Shadow and Michael looked like they had gone a round against a Sentinel and they were still at it. Half the Danger Room had already been demolished, and Michael seemed to have the upperhand against Shadow. But then again, he had had extremely good training.  
  
"Shadow, Michael, that will be enough. I don't think the Danger Room can take any more, and neither can you, Shadow," Marianne decided to step in before Michael would do any damage that couldn't be repaired. The tone in her voice told everyone that it wouldn't be a wise choice to not listen.  
  
"Vow! Shadow looks bad," Kurt looked at the battered 21 year old.  
  
"Like, bad doesn't even come close to it!" Kitty commented.  
  
"Kurt, could you port me to the med-lab and then port both Shadow and Michael there too?" Marianne turned to the blue mutant.  
  
"Remind me, I do not get on zheir bad zide, not now, not ever," Kurt placed his hand on Marianne's shoulder and teleported her to the med-lab, before teleporting back and get the two men.  
  
"So, finished with the testosterone surge? Really, I have NEVER before in my life seen such childish, petty, little boys. Shadow! I do not need you to judge the man I am in love with! Not now, not ever! And you, Michael, you should know better then to provoke someone. How many times have we talked about this? ASK first, HURT later," she glared at the both of them, hands on her hips, a glare on her face.  
  
She got no reply from either one of them, they just looked at them like boys who had been caught with their hand in th cookie jar.  
  
"Shadow, you're up first, Michael, keep this on that cut," she tossed Michael a piece of cloth and began to clean Shadow up. Shadow yelped several times as she seemed to have shoved her bed-side manner aside.  
  
"Yeow! Marianne! Ouch! Have a... ouch... heart!" Shadow objected against the rough treatment.  
  
"Grow up," Marianne snorted, Michael winced in at advance as he knew he was about to recieve the exact same treatment from her, he only hoped she would give him something against the pain while she stitched him. He knew of one particular time when she had given him just enough to not feel a hell of a lot pain, but still a lot.  
  
"Get out. Now," Marianne pointed at the door, while still glaring at Shadow, who made his hasty, limping retreat, "and for you Gun," Michael cringed: if she used his codename, it was bad, "you are going to go and take me out tonight in order to make up for this."  
  
Michael resisted the urge to groan: this was going to cost him, a lot. Much to his surprise, she was a lot more gentle on him, perhaps she had released most of her anger on Shadow. He just gritted her teeth as she stitched him up.  
  
"I told them I'd be staying for a week, after that, I'm going back with you," okay, she was completely over her anger right now, Michael concluded as she gave him a peck on the cheek, and that news MADE him want to take her out. He winced slightly as she put on the last bandages.  
  
"You're a big wuss," she giggled and then yelped as he swept her into his lap and nuzzled her neck.  
  
"So, where are we going tonight?" he whispered softly. 


	24. Shadow the idiot

Just a Girl – Shadow the idiot  
  
There seems to be something when big brothers find out their little sister is going out on a date that makes them spy on them, and since Devon had no worries about his little sister dating Michael, Shadow had taken it upon himself to go and spy on Marianne, taking Kurt along, after some blackmailing from Shadow. Shadow himself was still limping and bruised and it was a bit of a dent in his ego that Michael only had some cuts, scrapes and bruises.  
  
"You do know zhat Marianne will kill us when she finds out, don't you?" Kurt asked Shadow softly as they watched Marianne and Michael leave in one of the cars.  
  
"It is our job to look after her," Shadow shrugged it of.  
  
"But he has looked after her for two years," Kurt objected, but a glare from Shadow shut him up.  
  
"Hop on blue elf," Shadow told him as he revved his bike.  
  
~*Meanwhile in the car*~  
  
"The guys are gonna give you hell 'bout me leaving with you. Well, not Logan, Hank and the professor, but the rest of them are," Marianne fiddled with the left sleave of her jacket.  
  
"I know, I don't care. It's your choice, Anne, you don't have to do this out of obligation, you don't have to do this out of anything but your own free will," Michael observed her from the corner of his eyes.  
  
"I know, but... but I can't stay here. No matter what, not even if you would stay here too. I KILLED people, that... that wasn't what the professor taught us, that isn't what I believe in. If I would stay, sooner or later, I would go out on missions again, even though nor they, nor I, want me to. It was so easy, Michael, too easy. I never thought of my power as lethal, but what happened in that lab proved me wrong. I can kill people easier then Logan with his claws. If... if I were to be put in such a situation again, if I were to kill again, I... I don't think I could live with myself, I think I would die," the pure, raw desperation in her voice told Michael that this was the truth, and it told him she wanted nothing else then to stay alive.  
  
"Then I'll make sure that won't happen. I'll take you with me when we built the safehouse, you'll become our doctor. I'll make sure you'll never have to fight again, I'll keep you safe," he promised, for a minute, he caught her eyes and they both realised that that promise held more truth then any other in the world.  
  
"It's funny," Marianne was the first to look away, "I never wanted protection, but I got it too much. Now I need someone to protect me from myself."  
  
"Hey," Michael let his left hand settles on her hands and gave them a squeeze, "we can't always be strong. I depend on you, so it would only be fair for you to depend on me."  
  
~*On the bike*~  
  
Shadow growled lowly as he saw Michael touch Marianne. He didn't like him, he didn't know why, but he knew that he didn't like Michael. It failed to make it into his mind that this was simply because Michael had kicked his butt in the Danger Room.  
  
"Zhey have been togezher for two years, I zhink zhey really love eachozher," Kurt tried to be the voice of reason, again, and failed, again.  
  
"She didn't have her memory back then, now she has," Shadow replied stoïcally.  
  
"Ve are going to die, if ve die, I blame you," Kurt groaned, while imagening the amount of punishment he would recieve from Marianne for spying on her on a date. Why on earth had he let Shadow talk him into going with him? He could be with Amanda at the mall or something. No, instead he was riding with an over-protective, self appointed big brother, going to spy on the one girl he had rather not see mad.  
  
They followed the couple into a small restaurant, Kurt barely managed to keep Shadow from going in. If he had to go along, he'd better make sure they both staid out of trouble.  
  
~*In the restaurant*~  
  
"You know that Shadow is following us, right?" Michael grinned at her.  
  
"Shadow, the idiot," Marianne groaned, "do I have your approval of making this evening hell for him?"  
  
"I wouldn't have it any other way, so, what's your plan?" he knew what Marianne had in mind the moment he saw the dangerous sparkles in her eyes. He was very happy, at that moment, he was not Shadow.  
  
"I know about this nice little club down town, it doesn't look like much good goes on in there, but it's a nice place to hang out. Exactly the place Shadow wold rather not see me have fun. They play a lot of rockballads there, you'll love it. And we have to nodge the mushy-stuff up a bit, just to annoy him," Marianne smiled mischeviously at Michael.  
  
"No problems on all accounts. This might be the best date we have had," Michael immediately put the plan into action, scooting his chair to sit next to Marianne and giving her a peck on the cheek.  
  
~*Outside*~  
  
What did he think he was? What made him think he could actually sit so close to Marianne?! Who gave him permission to kiss her for that matter?! When this evening was over, he was going to make sure Michael could never touch her again!  
  
Kurt was slowly changing his mind about it being a bad idea to come along: it was actually very funny to see Shadow eat himself up and not being able to interfere. Something told him the couple inside were well aware that they were being spied upon, which also gave him shivers: Marianne knew! He was so dead when this was over!  
  
~*Inside*~  
  
"So, what do you think of the mansion and all?" Marianne started the conversation while they waited for their order.  
  
"I think this was indeed a very good plan, to send the kids here. Xavier is a strong telepath, he'll be able to help Connor construct stronger mental shields against an overload of emotions. Samantha adores Jean, I think she adopted her as a big sister. I have no doubt that they will also be able to help Ezra over her not speaking and they'll be able to help Jonathan with his temper," Michael nodded, "and they care a lot about you. They gave you something I could never give you, they gave you your past back."  
  
"And a great deal of new nightmares," she shuddered.  
  
"I'm sorry about that," Michael looked down at the table.  
  
"Don't be. Now, let's talk about something else," she tipped his head up and turned it so that he faced her, "future. What are we gonna do when I get my diploma?"  
  
"We're gonna move, they already have a safehouse near Boston, another one would be overdoing it. How do you feel about Arizona? I got an offer there. There are far too little there, and too many mutant haters," he looked at her, "but we're only going if you want to."  
  
"If we are needed there, we go. Good! Our food is here!" with that, the topic was closed and they concentrated on just being a normal couple like any other.  
  
~*Outside*~  
  
"I don't like this, I don't like this," Shadow grumbled, it was later and Marianne and Michael were just leaving the restaurant. They were too close for comfort. Far too close for comfort. She was what? Twenty? Yes, much too young for a serious relationship like this one. At least, that was what Shadow made himself believe.  
  
"Zhis is nicht gut," Kurt murmured to himself as he saw where the two were headed and heard Shadow growl. Not good at all. It was a small club, it looked kinda shabby, like it could fall apart any minute.  
  
"I'm gonna kill 'm," Shadow growled, dinner? Okay, but now he was taking her to a place like this? No freakin' way in hell! This time, Kurt couldn't stop him from going in, all he could do was follow him, directing a silent prayer to whomever was listening to let him survive.  
  
~*With Marianne*~  
  
"I can see why you like this place," Michael commented as they found some seats at the bar, 'Love is on the way' from Saigon Kick just started. The inside was completely different from what he had suspected. It seemed to be for the strict knowing and appreciating few. He saw a young couple dancing in the middle of a near empty dance floor. Young and innocent, he couldn't help but smile and wonder how things would be if he and Marianne were like them.  
  
"The real crowd doesn't come in untill midnight, and I am betting you wonder how I know this," Marianne said with a smirk on her face, "Rogue and Kitty took me here for my eightteenth birthday, a girl's night out. Ofcourse Ororo came along to supervise. Not one of the boys knew we were here, well, except the professor. It was so much fun."  
  
"I can understand, they have great taste here," he nodded while listening to the songs.  
  
"The owner is a fan of this kind of music. He's also positively loaded and a mutant," she grinned while ordering a coke. One thing that she had found out pretty early: she should not get drunk, she lost complete control of any and all powers she had. As she downed her drink, Skid Row began to play with 'Wasted Time'.  
  
"Wanna dance?" he offered her, inclining his head to the dance-floor.  
  
"Sure, I'd love to," Marianne nodded and allowed Michael to guide her to the dancefloor.  
  
~*Several hours later*~  
  
"You can come out, Shadow, we're going home," Marianne sttod in front of a booth.  
  
"I do not zhink Shadow will be goin' anywhere. He is drunk," Kurt came up behind them.  
  
"He's what?!" she exclaimed, dragging a positively wasted Shadow out of the booth.  
  
"Hey... M'ranne," he slurred before completely blacking out.  
  
"I believe your last comment on him would suit best now," Michael grinned broadly, relishing in the sight of the annoying boy completely passed out, "Shadow the idiot."  
  
"I agree vizh zhat," Kurt nodded, "But I do not have a ride now."  
  
"You two can ride with us, Kurt. Thanks for keeping an eye on Shadow so he wouldn't interrupt my date with Michael," Marianne motioned at the unconcious Shadow before they began to drag him out to the car.  
  
The drive back was silent, a smirk played on Michael's face, Kurt was nearly asleep in the backseat, Shadow remained out cold and Marianne was daydreaming, or should that be nightdreaming, Michael wondered.  
  
"I think we're gonna have some explaining to do," Michael said after he parked the car and saw Logan and Ororo standing in the garage, both of them glaring disapprovingly.  
  
"You realise it is past curfew, child," Ororo was the first to speak, looking directly at Marianne.  
  
"I would like to state first that I am not responsible for Kurt and Shadow being out this late. Shadow decided he had the right to spy on my date with Michael and he dragged Kurt with him, he also ended up getting positively wasted. His bike is still at Ben's and I think Kurt is ready to turn in. Me and Michael are adults and not part of the X-men so there is no curfew for us," Marianne quickly intervened, trying to get them out of trouble. Yeah, so Shadow would take the blame, but he deserved that: he had been spying on them! Okay, so they had caught on almost immediately, it was still the same: he. Didn't. Trust. Her. And for that, he would pay. 


	25. Life changes

A/N: Final chapter of Just a Girl. I am already working on a sequel (is that the right word? I WANT SPELLCHECK!). Tell me what you thought of this. The last part of this chapter is based upon a song of a great (Dutch) artist. I will put the lyrics in at the end. Her name is Ilse DeLange, the song is called All The Answers, it was written in support of WarChild. I don't owe this song either!  
  
A/N2: I want to thank everyone who reviewed my second fanfiction, D-m-n-w-t and Agent-G especially. Did Jeager put those chinchilla's away yet?  
  
Just a Girl – Life changes  
  
The week went by faster the anyone had wanted. Jubilee and Rahne had gotten to know Marianne and grew to care a great deal about the young woman. When the time came to say goodbye, Connor was very happy with the mental shielding he was learning to keep up, because the unslaught of emotions would surely send him to the med-lab.  
  
Marianne had agreed to stay in touch and send them weekly updates on her life, and had refused to give Shadow her home adress. Saying she didn't think he would keep the house intact and if he really wanted to find her, he would do so easily. As he had been able to find her every time she went out, which began to annoy her gravely. Apparently, his killer hang-over from his first adventure hadn't done anything to discourage him from going on another, or getting dead wasted again. After the third time, Marianne had decided to just leave him, it took the romance from a date if you have to get a dead-drunk 'big brother like', annoying and most of all stupid Shadow home.  
  
They went with the Blackbird, flown by Ororo and Logan. They were welcomed by an ecstatic Joey, Tim and Sander, that was mainly because they had been living on left overs and take-out all week, but also because they had been afraid that Marianne would stay with the X-men and they would have to deal with Militaristic Michael again.  
  
Time went by, christmas came, with christmas, Rogue came by to spend christmas with the group. Scott had gone to his brother Alex and since Marianne knew Rogue wouldn't go anywhere, she had invited the gothic girl to come and spent christmas in Boston. Ever since Rogue had gotten the pendant, her personality had greatly improved.  
  
She staid for a week, and according to Marianne, that was just enough for them to show her the greatest spots in Boston. Rogue was astounded by how much Marianne knew about the clubs down town and how many people she actually knew behind the scenes. The Marianne she saw here was completely different from the one she knew from the mansion: she was the light of the party here.  
  
As Marianne later explained, she was the always on-call, though not legally, medic from the neighbourhood, because she knew her medical stuff and she didn't charge anything but friendship. It amazed Rogue how little this Marianne actually cared for rules if they kept her from doing what she needed to do: take care of those who need care.  
  
After that week, when Rogue left, she felt sorry she had too, never before, she had had such a great time. Being a friend of Marianne, as she had now let herself be known throughout the entire (large) circle of her, sometimes shady, friends, insured she was treated with respect and kindness, by most of them. Marianne had also gave her some tips on picking up cute guys, as she herself couldn't since she was deeply involved with Michael.  
  
Rogue had found out Joey's power, they called him Drifter. He could open gateways in the air and get you in five minutes from one side of the country to the other. The stories he had told her about how much trouble he had gotten into before learning control had left her gasping for breath, laughing.  
  
Tim and Sander were humans, friends from Marianne who had been kicked out of their dorm. Tim looked aggresive, but Rogue had soon found out he was a big softie with a rough past. Sander was a rich kid, who was disowned for fraternizing with 'mutie freaks'. He had backbone, where Tim looked aggresive, he looked like a pushover, but where Tim would try to compromise, Sander would push back hard enough to either get into a fight or get his way.  
  
After her stay with the group for christmas, Rogue often returned, when she was in Boston, she felt like she was normal.  
  
In May, all the favours that were needed were called in, and all the professors were convinced Marianne had no business following classes, as she knew everything she had to. So early May, she recieved her diploma, being followed by an all night party with her Boston friends and the X-men who were old enough to participate. Marianne firmly believed she was the only one sober at the end of the celebration, and that was only because she didn't feel like putting the entire block under her illusions.  
  
Moving to Arizona was exhausting. They had to built everything, luckily, Logan decided he might as well help out and Hank made sure she recieved proper things to put up a small hospital.  
  
How much she loved adventure, this was just a bit too much of it. They were sleeping outside in TENTS for crying out loud! It gave a whole new meaning to 'roughing' it. Tim, Sander and Joey had to stay in Boston, because they still had their classes and Marianne, Michael and Logan were on their own building the safehouse the first few days. After three days, finally, the promised workforces from Mutant Underground appeared. Apparently something went wrong (heh, office-work... go figure...) with the request. They had Digger, a very tall, broad build man who could create caves in the ground very easily. That came in very handy, because most of the safehouse would be underground, including the hospital.  
  
After the teams started to show up, Marianne had restricted her work to patching up, cooking and keeping the men and women in check. What else could she do? She was a doctor! She had a diploma, she couldn't even stick on brick to another if her life depended on it. She doubted that it was even wise for her to come with Michael before the whole thing was put together. But then again: someone had to keep them all in check, these were not easy, happy campers and Michael was too tired to deal with them. After the first day, they had learned to respect, and fear, don't forget fear, her temper.  
  
So far, after two weeks, she had set one broken leg, three broken arms, stitched seven cuts a week, at least, found out a way to preserve ice and a lot of it, somewhere where she could reach it easily and a way to use her powers to knock someone out, because they had run out of sedatives, mainly because someone had dropped the box. The working crew was still cursing Nova for that one.  
  
Nova would be one of the permanent team, it was unlucky for them, though, that unless when he was under pressure, he was the one most prone to causing mishaps. His power was to create a field of 'mini' stars which exploded when something touched them. Like having a mobile minefield for your own convenience, according to Michael.  
  
In July, things settled down, at last. Marianne would rather die then admit it, but the last months had been exhausting, challenging and she would never be so happy to see something finished as she was now. And a bed had never been as good to sleep in as it was now. The safehouse was officially up and running. The working crew had left, leaving the five of them behind, counting her and Michael. They had a total of three permanent members. Nova, Gaia and Tank. Nova's real name was Ben March. Gaia was a mutant with elemental control, her name was Sarah Dough. Then there was Tank, invulnerable and super human strength, add a wicked sense of humour and you had just the man to get on Gaia's nerves, he didn't tell them his real, he said he had left that life a long time ago.  
  
The team wasn't big, but they were tight as family. Nova and Tank had jokingly appointed Marianne as 'mom' and Michael as 'dad'. Those who found refuge at their safehouse picked up on the habit, even though half the refugees were older then their 'mom'.  
  
Marianne soon found out that her job as 'mom' was very difficult. It sometimes broke her heart to see her 'children' come into the safehouse looking so bruised, battered and distrusting. Children whose parents had 'disappeared' on the hands of mutant haters were also often brought in. Every single one of them was scanned for the X-gene, most had them, some had the dormant variant and a single one didn't have it at all.  
  
She sometimes wondered is it was all worth it. Why should she go one fighting? Mutants were still hated, feared, shunned, they still had to operate in secrecy. Every time the team brought in new refugees, her heart broke again, but every time she heard her nickname being called out, every time she heard them joke around, saw one of the little ones smiling at her, her heart mended again, a little stronger then before. She knew she had to go on, for the little ones, to try and build them a brighter future.  
  
She didn't know what tomorrow would be like, what the morning sun would bring, and to be honest, she didn't want to know. It could bring trouble, it could bring salvation, but what was most important was the here and now.  
  
She no longer was just a girl, another face in the crowd. She had the chance to do something important and she was going to do it. No longer just a girl, her life had changed, for the better for her? She didn't know. For the better for others? She would make sure of it.  
  
.  
  
All the Answers - Ilse DeLange .  
  
When I call you in the morning  
  
I tell you everything's allright  
  
I can't see into the future  
  
I don't see the danger of the light  
  
I know that there is trouble  
  
And there are battles yet to fight  
  
.  
  
'Cause I may not have all the answers  
  
I wouldn't have it any other way  
  
.  
  
And there's an innerpeace I'm seaking  
  
There's a lightness in my soul  
  
And everytime I think I found it  
  
I wanna touch it, feel it, hold it  
  
.  
  
And the day that I stop asking  
  
Will be the day I'll say goodbye  
  
The world will not be safer  
  
But there's no truth without the lie  
  
.  
  
I may not have all the answers  
  
I wouldn't have it any other way  
  
No I may not have all the answers, no  
  
I wouldn't have it any other way  
  
.  
  
I've asked the good Lord Jesus  
  
I'm asking Allah too  
  
I tried the great God Boeddah  
  
And now I'm asking you  
  
.  
  
'Cause I may not have all the answers  
  
I wouldn't have it any other way  
  
.  
  
When you're deep in trouble waters  
  
You've got to fight for every breath  
  
And you feel you're getting weaker  
  
You're facing life,  
  
you're fashing death  
  
.  
  
And if you have a God to turn to  
  
Oh don't turn the other way  
  
Or a friend that you can call on  
  
Just a prayer that you can say  
  
.  
  
I may not have all the answers  
  
I wouldn't have it any other way  
  
No, I may not have all the answers no  
  
I wouldn't have it any other way 


End file.
